My Missionary Life
by ElderZ.S.Weber
Summary: Okay, so this technically isn't a web-show...it's my blog that I'm writing in during my life as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Hope you enjoy hearing about how I'm doing, and what being a Member and a Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is all about. WARNING: Will contain religious thoughts and feelings.
1. My Last Talk

**This was the last talk I gave in my home Ward, just before I left for my mission. I miss a lot of those people there; I made many a great friend in that Ward, and have had many great memories. But it's time to move on. For the next two years, from August 20th, 2014, to August 16th, 2016, I'm going to the Colorful state of Colorado, serving as a Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission! Wish me luck, y'all!**

Hello, everyone. My name is Zachary Weber. Though, you probably already knew that. I've been up at this podium more than once over the last eleven years, either giving a talk I was asked to prepare by the Bishop, or just coming up and saying a spur of the moment testimony that came from my soul. Growing up in this ward has been a great experience for me, and every time I step up at this stand to say what I feel, I feel so glad that I can look out, and see so many friends and teachers, that have helped me grow to who I am now. So, before I begin, I would just like to say, thank you.

Today, I have been asked to tell you about how personal experiences and revelations have helped my testimony and relationship with my Father in Heaven grow over the years. To begin, I would like to say that I have always been a firm believer that God's hands can be seen in all things, and if we are worthy, he will give us blessings and lessons through the experiences we have throughout our lives. There have been many moments in my life where I feel I have grown closer to my Father through the experience; however there are two that really stand out to me.

The first began about six years ago, when I was first entering Middle School. I wasn't a really impressive or outstanding kid at the time; in fact, if you asked my mom, she would probably tell you that I was probably just a hair short of becoming a depressingly introverted teenager. I wanted to find a way to help express myself, but I didn't know how. I remember having this want, this strange desire to join the orchestra and take up violin, but unfortunately I needed more experience in music before I could even think of joining them. So, I decided to join one of the band classes, learn a different instrument first, tough it out for a year, and then join the orchestra later on. But things didn't end up going that way.

Instead of just wanting to tough it out for a year, I found out that I was actually very good at the instrument I had decided to take up; the oboe. Supposedly, it was a very tough, hard-to-play instrument, but I was improving and growing as a musician very quickly and very well with the oboe. By the time my first year ended, I was hooked, and I wasn't leaving the oboe or the band any time soon.

Fast forward about a year, and another major event in my life came around. Darin Graber, the band teacher at Bingham High School, came to the Middle School to showcase the skills of his Marching Band. Around this time, I was fairly passionate about my oboe, and had this feeling that I could do just about anything that came before me, as long as it included music and performances. When I heard about the Marching Band, I felt that I just had to do it. I wanted to see just how good I could become, and plus it sounded like a really fun and cool experience. Big mistake.

I did not expect the grueling torture that came with joining the elite gang of musicians. For just over a week, I and other students like myself were subjected to monotonous drills, working for twelve hours a day under the baking sun, while proper performance posture was hammered into us constantly. And that was just the beginning of the year. After that, we'd meet together after school three times a week, three hours a day, for nine hours a week, beating drills, music, and style into our program. Some people got sick, or injured, or just couldn't handle the stress, and dropped out. It really looked as though Marching Band would become the biggest mistake I had ever made.

Four years later, though, I look back at marching band, and can't help but smile. Sure, the training and practices were torture, sometimes too sadistic even for the Devil to enjoy. But the pay off was well worth it. Over the four years I had been a part of the marching band, I had performed in four complex and rigorous productions, two of which I had the fine opportunity of performing as a soloist, and one of which made sixth place in the Western States Division of the Bands of America Competition. Though the road had been rough, it had definitely been worth it, and I wouldn't change it, not in a million years.

So what do learning to play the oboe, and joining the high school marching band have to do with Heavenly Father, and the Spirit. On their own, nothing. But to me, these experiences were more than just moments in my life. They were turning points, where Heavenly Father was able to show me who I was, what I could do, and how I could grow greater.

I probably would have never known how skilled I was a playing the oboe, had I never wanted to join the orchestra, and fallen short of the requirements. I believe, wholeheartedly, that the desire to join orchestra was Heavenly Father's way of helping me onto the path that lead me towards the oboe, and discovering a hidden skill I never knew I had. In music, I also learned that I had the ability to perform before large groups, and not be afraid. When I joined the Marching band, I learned how to get out of my comfort zone, and try new and exciting things. I learned how to trust in myself and my own abilities, as well as how to raise others up, and help them along the way. I was able to be proud of myself, of my own accomplishments. But most important of all, for the first time ever, I was able to find people that, for the first time ever, I could consider as my friends. For the first time ever, I found people that I could place my trust in, and I knew that they would protect it.

In all of this, I knew my Heavenly Father was there. He was the one who was giving me these chances to learn, to grow, and I was lucky enough to be open enough to learn from them. And while I was learning these lessons that made me grow as a successful young man, I was also able to feel my spirit grow along the way. Because, through these events and experiences, I was able to feel my Father's hand in every practice, every mistake, every success. What I learned, was that He truly was my Heavenly Father. He cared for me, and what I did, and if I was worthy or deserving, He would help me achieve what it was I wanted to succeed in. If I became too prideful or boastful, he would scold me, and make personal success more difficult for me to achieve. Whenever I actually did fall short on my own, he was there to stir confidence within me, and push me to continue on. He was there for me, and all He asked in return was that I continue to serve him. Which I now have the chance to do so.

However, knowing how to serve my Heavenly Father, and actually having a plan to do said service were two completely different concepts entirely. All my life, I had just assumed that I would go on a mission. It seemed like the right thing to do, what was expected of a young man in the church to do, and what I felt my family wanted me to do. It even stated in my patriarchal blessing that I was to have the privilege to serve a full-time mission when I was ready. But when the age change was announced to the church during General Conference 2012, I began to have personal doubts. When should I leave? How should I prepare? Would I even be ready to leave at the age of 18? I remember having those questions bouncing around in my head, until one day while I was in Seminary.

My teacher at the time, Brother Richardson, had told us his story of his mission, and how he had decided to serve. My questions, which I had left bottled up, surfaced again, and that night I went to my scriptures for an answer. I ended up coming across the passage of Alma the Younger's story, and how overnight he had gone from the worst man possible to one of the greatest missionaries in Nephite history. While I read the passage, I remember hearing a voice in my head ask me, 'Are you going to keep wondering over what God wants you to do, or are you going to stand up, and find the answers yourself?' That voice stirred the resolve within me, and I quickly turned to my Heavenly Father for an answer.

My answer came to me quietly. I simply felt peace roll over me, calm and supreme. And that was when I knew that I had to go on a mission. And not only that, but I had to go on a mission once I turned 18, because that was what my Heavenly Father wanted me to do. When I finally opened my call over a year later, I felt that peace again, as I knew that the Fort Collins, Colorado Mission was the mission I was meant to serve in. I knew I was worthy to serve, and I had the testimony and the knowledge of my Heavenly Father to push me on. Not only that, but He had also passed on to me the life lessons I would need on my mission in Fort Collins, Colorado, which I had earned from my life in marching band. I knew how to work well with others, to act as a leader and an example to others. I had been taught how to form bonds with others, to make friends, and to lend a hand to others who are struggling. And I had learned how to not be afraid of putting myself out before others, and doing things I wouldn't normally be comfortable doing. With these skills and lessons on my shoulders, I knew that my Father had prepared me well for my mission, and that I will now be able to serve him, and the people in Fort Collins, Colorado, to the best of my abilities.

In conclusion, personal experiences and revelations have been a major part of my spiritual growth. They have played a major role in helping my personal relationship with my Heavenly Father grow and flourish. Because of the events of my life, and the revelations I have had between just myself and my Father, I have been able to see who Heavenly Father is to me; my loving Father, who only wants the best for me, and will aid me in my endeavors, so long as I prove worthy of his help. I know that He has a plan for me here on Earth, to grow and learn so that someday I may be able to return to him once again. I know that his son, my elder brother, Jesus Christ, is the Savior of the World, and that he did take upon himself the pains of the world so that we may all be able to live again. I know for myself, by revelation from my Father in Heaven, that the Book of Mormon is true, and by extension, that Joseph Smith was a true prophet, that this Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, is the one true church on the Earth today, and that it is lead by the current prophet, Thomas S. Monson, who leads our church through revelations given to him directly from our Heavenly Father. This is what I believe to be true, through the revelations and experiences I have had.

I say this in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.


	2. August 20-23

**This was my first email home from the Missionary Training Center, aka the MTC. I have to admit, I was nervous when I first started out, but as time went on, I began to feel that I was really understanding what it meant to be a missionary, and who I really was. I was eager to take off to the mission, and start serving my brothers and sisters in Colorado.**

Hey everyone!

It's me, _Elder_ Zachary Steven Weber, reporting back for the first time ever from my mission! It's been an amazing experience for me so far, filled with wonderful moments with the Spirit, with my teachers, and with the fellow missionaries I will have the privilege to serve with over the next few years.

So, life at the MTC is fairly placid, for most parts. When you get there, you are assigned a District made of people in your same mission, and additionally a companion to help in studies, Role-Playing teaching, and feeling the Spirit. My District is made up of ten other Elders, a fairly large group compared to others, apparently. There's me and my companion, Elder Noh (who is almost exactly a foot taller than me...like being with Brandon all over again), then there're Elders Dixon and Lirers (a pair of sports-brains with Southern accents), Elders Pratt and Clavel (a Utahn and a Brazilian who have great senses of humor), Elders Christensen and Leavit (a pair of fairly humble and quiet Elders who keep to themselves mostly), and finally Elders Nielson and Genther (a big-boned-big-spirited man and his skinny and slightly awkward yet lovable partner). Together, we form the Colorado Fort Collins missionaries at the MTC, and we are proud of it. They are a really nice bunch, and I'm really glad to have gotten the chance to know them.

Lessons are fairly decent here at the MTC. So far we've been focusing on learning what the Doctrine of Christ is (the Atonement of Christ, and how to access it, ie 4th Article of Faith), as well as how we can be able to apply it into our teaching towards our investigators. Most often, we teach our Teachers at the MTC, who role-play scenarios from their own missionary experiences, and have us try to teach them in a way that can work out best. Our teachers are Brother Welch (a guy who reminds me of Matt Mease or Ben Stiller), and Brother Pitt (a nice guy with a very laid-back kind of attitude). Elder Noh and I have been trying to teach Brother Pitt as a college student named Nick, but so far we haven't been able to do much. Hopefully we'll be able to find what Nick needs or wants to know, and help him find that. In addition to the Role-Playing Teaching, we also get chances to teach _actual_ investigators, who volunteer to learn more about our religion from the missionaries at the MTC. The questions they ask, and the wants and needs they have, have helped me understand how best to speak to the investigators in the future. I just hope I remember it enough to use it in the field.

When we aren't in our lessons, or teaching real (or unreal) investigators, we are also studying. Hard-core studying. Oftentimes, our District bands together in the classroom, when the teacher isn't around, and just hammers lessons and chapters of scripture, trying to squeeze out every last drop of personal and spiritual knowledge we can gain. It's really interesting, watching the spirit work on us so deeply, with so many others who can connect with the spirit on that level. Every once in a while, one of the Elders shouts out after a verse 'Red Scripture' or 'Blue Scripture', and we all instantly pull out whichever scripture marking utensil we have on us, and box/underline/cross the verses spoken. I've already filled my scripture journal to ten pages with all of the spiritual moments and verses that I've learned and felt. It's a really wonderful experience.

Of course, not all things are roses and daisies. There have been a few thorns over the course of the last week. It's nothing major, just that every afternoon, 'bout around two or three, everyone just slowly starts to shut down. I'm not the only one that has this happen, it's literally like one minute, the classroom is filled with excited and energetic Elders, and the next, we've all had our batteries drained, and can barely function. We push through, mostly, but when we do, we sort of cut off all connection we have with the spirit. And ten Elders with no spiritual connection _cannot_ end well. Hopefully we'll find a way to overcome this by next week, but until then, we're just going to have to push through, and try our hardest to stay awake, and in tune with the spirit.

Well, that's all I really have to say for now, guys. Thanks for listening, and I'll catch you all again in about a week. I love you all, and I hope to see you all again in two years.

Bye!

Elder Zachary Steven Weber


	3. August 24-30

Hey everyone! Wow, this week really flew by fast for me and the other guys in **District 43-B**. A lot has happened that I haven't yet had the chance to talk about. So, let us begin, shall we?

First, I had my first Sunday at the MTC this last week. If you think that it wouldn't be a very spiritual experience due to the fact that I practically live and breathe church all day long now, you are badly mistaken. The day started with a Sacrament Meeting presided by the members of our Zone Presidency. Some of the Elders and Sisters were called up to perform musical interlude music, or say one of the prepared talks we were all asked to have ready, just in case someone called on us. Though, the best part of the day was when we listened to a video of a talk Elder Bednar gave to the MTC a few years ago. It explained on _what_ we as missionaries are supposed to do, as well as _how_ to truly go about it; by showing everyone we meet the pure love of Christ; Charity. It was an amazing meeting, and I won't ever forget it.

Throughout the rest of the week we had lessons and Role-playing activities with our teachers, but nothing truly impactful came of it due to the fact that we were all still struggling to know just **how** to teach. However, the week was not lost, because Elder Noh and myself had an amazing investigator to teach. At the MTC, they have missionaries train by teaching **_REAL LIVE INVESTIGATORS_** in the MTC. Our investigator was a man named George Cepull (pronounced like steeple), a 65-year old man who had lost his leg four years back, and had to have a prosthetic leg attachment. We were worried how to teach him, but we didn't need to. Because, the saying they have at the MTC is 'you don't teach George-he teaches _you_'. And that's just what happened. He talked a little bit, mostly about himself, but when he'd get deep into talking, the spirit poured out of him like it was coming from a fire hose, just gushing and gushing until it filled the room. I have never been so touched by the spirit in my entire LIFE! It was amazing!

Another thing that I've been able to take out of the MTC so far is choir. Elder Noh loves singing, and when he found out the MTC had a choir, he begged me to join so that he could go, too. Begrudgingly (though not really all that begrudgingly) I joined as well. Turns out I'm a Tenor, apparently, and a pretty good one, too. Tenors are good because they can play the middle area, but go High or Low if they need to. It's really cool, also, to sing with all of these worthy young men and women around me, and be able to fill the spirit so strongly as well. It was an amazing experience, once again!

Well, that's all for this week. Just a few days until I leave this place, too...that. Is. Crazy! Wish me luck in Colorado, everyone! Bye~!

Sincerely-

-Elder Zachary Steven Weber


	4. August 31-September 3

Hey guys, so guess where I am, right now?

That's right, Fort Collins, Colorado!

...Okay, technically it's Loveland, Colorado, but that's not what really matters here. What matters is that I'M FINALLY IN THE MISSION FIELD! This is great! Colorado is a lot like Utah, actually, so it doesn't feel all that different from home. Except that it's a bit hotter here, and a little less hazy. Oh, and though they say that Colorado is 'mountain country' the only mountains I can see are about a hundred miles off in the distance, so its a fairly flat horizon all around me. Sigh...though, I guess it could be worse. I could be in Kansas.

I've gotten my first real companion. His name is Elder Proffit. That's right, Proffit, like Prophet. I have REALLY good feelings for this mission! He's a nice guy, really helpful, but he doesn't seem to talk much. Not that I talk all that much either, really. Hopefully, though, when it comes to study time and our lessons, we'll be able to speak up to one another, and help each other when needed. For now, though, I'm just going to try and follow his example as I try to keep up with the new life in the mission field.

For the 'luxuries' of my mission, there's actually a bit to talk about. First, there is a temple, the Fort Collins Temple, being erected while I am living in this area.

In fact, the church building I will be attending Sundays at is RIGHT ACROSS THE ROAD FROM IT! I'll be able to watch it go up each Sunday for the next few months! How awesome is that?! Oh, and we get cars, too, and phones to call our investigators. Sorry, but I can't text or call any of you guys while I'm on my mission. Sorry! Lastly, as for where I'll be staying, I'm now living in the basement of a nice member family, the Houses, who seem like a really nice family. Hopefully, I won't be a burden to them.

Well, that's it for this week.

I'll write to y'all again probably come Monday.

Until then, catch ya later!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	5. September 4-8

Hey guys, Elder Weber calling in once again for his weekly update for how life in the Mission Field _really _is. I've gotten a lot of excited and supportive comments since my last email on Wednesday, and I have to say I am definitely blessed to have such great support from so many friends and family!

So, last time I told y'all about my new companion, Elder Proffit, as well as the members I'm now living with, the Houses. First of all, let me tell you all that life with the three of them has been great so far. I'll admit, sometimes it's a little rough when Elder Proffit wakes up before me, and then hogs the hot water in the shower for fifteen minutes or more, but other than that he's been a great trainer and companion, and has really been a lot of help in showing me the ropes, and showing me around the neighborhoods. He's very supportive, and gives me genuine advice whenever I ask or need it. And the Houses are very nice and helpful, perhaps too much for their own good! They gave us a microwave, toaster, convection oven, hot plate, and two refrigerators for our kitchen, as well as extra sheets and pillows! I'm not complaining, but that seems a bit...much.

The ward is great, and filled with very nice people. Not that they're nicer than you guys back home, but it's good to know that I'm in good hands for now. So far, I've met with the Ward Mission Leader, the Elders Quorum Leader, the High Priests Leader, the Relief Society Head, and some of the Ward Missionaries. All of them are very kind people, and are more than willing to let Elder Proffit and me stop by for refreshments, a lesson, and just to relax a bit before getting back in the saddle yet again. Which, honestly, we need every chance we can get.

We've done a bit of tracting over the days, just knocking on doors and trying to see if anyone will answer. I actually got my first door slammed in my face, too! Sorry, I mean 'first door forcefully shut in displeasure'. Other than that, though, the people we meet while tracting are a very nice and kind bunch. They all seem a little wary of taking lessons, but I'm certain sooner or later, one of them will open up to the two of us, and BAM! I'll have my first investigator ever!

Along with the people, there are the experiences I've had this week, that really seem to set this mission apart for me. Last Saturday, we had Elder Cook, Christensen, Baxter, and Rose come and speak to the WHOLE MISSION. And, they shook each of our hands! Over 200 missionaries all shook the hands of three General Authorities, and one of the fifteen prophets we have today on earth! And then they gave us advice on how we can better teach and advise investigators, and just how to be better missionaries. AND, Elder Baxter spoke at the Stake Conference the next Sunday! So, yeah, that's kind of epic, am I right?!

Well, that's it for this week. It was nice hearing from you all again, and I'll catch you again next Monday! See you then!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	6. September 9-15

So...another week has passed by yet again, and now I am officially four weeks into my mission, two weeks in the field. So how has this last month of being a missionary gone for me? Well...I have to say that there are both sour and sweet grapes growing in my vineyard right now.

Once again, we haven't had any new investigators. Now, its not because we don't try; whenever Elder Proffit and I get the chance, we go out and try tracting in one of our larger neighborhoods, knocking on as many doors as we can. Some people answer, and most that do are friendly, kind people, but who are also just not interested in hearing what we have to say. Now, I'm not saying that I'm hating my mission, nor am I saying that I'm hating the people in our area. But walking through huge neighborhoods, filled with young families looking for a great new start, and finding no one who is interested in what we have to say is both tiring, and just a tad bit tiring.

Elder Proffit doesn't seem all that worried though, and I can understand why. Some of the members in the ward have called us up since Sunday (yesterday), and told us they have friends or coworkers in the area that they would like to share our message with. Many of the people they called us about actually live on the western side of our ward, in the other missionarys' area. But, there have been some that live in both of our major neighborhoods; Timnath and Ptarmigan. So, hopefully we'll be able to see more action than we have this last week.

That is, if we're able to get up on time. But with Ward Council meetings at 7:00 in the morning on Sunday, and personal study time at 8:00 in the morning every other day of the week, it'll be a miracle if Elder Proffit and I don't both pass out from over-exertion and lack of sleep! However, despite my grumbling and mumbling, I have to admit that the ward is filled with kind, nice people who really honestly want to help us out with our missions. So, at least this isn't all done in vain, right?

Hope to see you all again in 705 days, and talk to you again next Monday!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	7. September 16-22

Hey everyone!

I'm back, and better than ever, with yet another email installment of just how epic my life is going here in the mission field in Colorado Fort Collins area. I've had a lot of things I've had to do this last week, things that have taken up a lot of time, but we all know how good that is for missionaries like myself. It means that we're actually able to do our jobs! So, how is my mission actually going? Well, let me tell you!

To begin with, I feel like I've forgotten to explain how the missionary schedule goes. Kind of important in knowing how my life is going, right? Well, here it is;

6:30 = Wake up, get showered and dressed for the day ahead.

7:00 = Have breakfast, and relax for a little while, usually still waking up.

8:00 = Personal Study time, with readings from Standard Works, Preach My Gospel, and other Church-based books.

9:00 = Companionship Study time, where we plan out the day and discuss what we learned last hour

11:00 = Lunch time, and listen to talks or music we have on our mp3 players

1:00 = Begin tracting (this usually lasts until about 5:30 in the evening, and is interrupted by talks and break periods when we stop by a member's house, and they practically drag us in for snacks and a break from the baking sun outside)

5:30~6:30 = Dinner, usually at a member's house, where we have a discussion afterword, and ask for referrals

6:30~7:30 = Finish any tracting or appointments we have for the night

9:30 = Go home, plan out day for tomorrow, prepare for bed

10:30 = Lights out, go to bed, repeat process the next morning

So, that's usually how the schedule for us missionaries go. Sometimes, we have appointments that get thrown in, which mixes up the whole deal a bit, but other than that, it doesn't change very much.

However, that's where we get the good news!

I've got my very first REAL investigator! His name is Brian, and he's a friend of someone in the ward. He's been sounding interested in the Gospel, and when we taught him, he at least seemed like he was getting something deeper than theology from what we were saying! I really hope that he decides to follow our suggestions to him, and read the Book of Mormon, because he really does seem like this Gospel could help him out so much! Along with Brian, Elder Proffit and I have been teaching Marylin a little bit further. Her Baptismal date is this Saturday, the 27th, so everyone wish her the best in preparing for this big step on her path towards Eternal Life!

And the good news keeps rolling on! On the day that I had officially been out for one month, I got a package from my mom celebrating my big first month! 23 left to go! It was awesome! Also, I got to teach some of the youth about how to prepare for a mission, both spiritually, and temporally. However, what I stressed most was making memories with your families, because, honestly, I don't think I have enough to last me for two years away from them! So, if any of you have kids getting ready for a mission, remember. MAKE FAMILY FUN TIME! Because, once they're in their missions, all they'll have is the memories, and they're gonna need all the memories they can have to last the next two years!

Well, that's it for me! Catch you next week!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	8. September 23-29

Phew! What a week! Hey everyone, this is Elder Weber once again, starting off a brand new week with one more email telling how life in the mission field is going. And, as you can probably guess from the subject for this email, it has been totally awesome! So, let's get down to the bare details, and find out just WHY this week has been so. Totally. AWESOME!

The week began with Monday of last week. After sending out my last email, Elders Proffit, Miller, Wengreen, and myself went down to Target to restock on food for the rest of the week, and to buy myself a bike. The other Elders wanted to use (steal) the van for the rest of the month or so, so I needed a new set of wheels myself if I was going to get anywhere productive. After all, our only good ponds to fish for investigators are about thirty minutes by bike from our home! So, I got myself a nice and simple mountain bike. And let me tell you guys; there is no greater feeling than riding a bike down a steep hill, after not riding for over a month! The wind in your face, the land speeding away under you...some say that the feeling of soaring in a plane makes them feel closer to God. I have to disagree. You're stuck inside a metal machine, which is doing all the work! But biking? The thrill of riding a bike, feeling all the elements push against you as you careen down a hill, a shout of joy leaping from your throat, THAT is more how I feel God feels, absolute joy, absolute thrill, and boundless wonder and excitement. Even though I'm closer to Earth, I can easily feel like I'm soaring through the Heavens above.

Tuesday, sadly, wasn't all that big a day. Elder Proffit and I had planned to bike up to Timnath Ranch, one of our larger neighborhoods we proselyte in. However, though we did_eventually_ get there, there weren't many people interested in what we had to say, and very few of the members were out and about, so we pretty much just biked around, waiting until we had our dinner appointment.

Now, _that_ was something good to take from the day. Sister Shauna Banagas, my mom's friend while growing up in California, was hosting all four of us missionaries at her home for dinner. They had the cutest pug, too, which kept trying to bite my ankles off! Afterwards, we sort of goofed around and aimlessly chatted, and I actually learned how the Banagas' and my mom know each other. Knowing that it had been Sister Banagas that had played a key role in having my mom baptized totally blew me away!

Wednesday was phenomenal! Why? Because we got to see **Meet the Mormons** at an early showing at one of the church buildings, JUST FOR THE MISSIONARIES! In case you don't know what **Meet the Mormons** is, it's a motion picture coming out nation-wide on October 10th, put out by the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Basically, it tells the tale of six Mormon families throughout the world, from the streets of St. Louis, to the Mountains of Nepal, to the 'Mountains' of Salt Lake City, Utah. The movie was funny, exciting, and very spiritual. I don't think I saw a single member of the missionaries in our area who was not totally fixated on what was on the screen. It also had a great soundtrack to it, with _Symphony_ as the ending song. Now _THAT_ is one song I wish I had learned about before I went on my mission! That way I could have it stuck in my head all day long, and I wouldn't mind in the least bit! So, in case you didn't get it yet, the movie is awesome, and you should all go out and see it!

After that came Thursday, and then Friday! Friday was the last day I got to teach Marilyn Macreena, my first investigator on my mission. We loved talking with her and her mother, a recent convert to the church, and were so excited that her baptism was going to be happening the VERY NEXT DAY! After she passed her interview to make certain she was ready to be baptized, myself, Elder Proffit, and the two Zone Leaders who interviewed her, goofed around a bit by doing what is now called 'The Baptism Strut'. So far, I think Elder Esplin (the ZL) did the best...but that's only because I myself looked like a drunk elephant lumbering about. T-T

Saturday came, and Marilyn was baptized! I got to bear my testimony right afterword, of how it felt teaching Marilyn the Gospel, and how I know that she has a strong, kind, gentle spirit, which knows the truth and meaning of what happened that day, and would continue to grow and improve throughout the rest of her years. And, though she was baptized later than most kids in the church her age are, she will grow to have a light so bright, it will far out shine any soul who stands beside her in her life. On Sunday, Elder Proffit conferred Marilyn as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and was able to bless her with the blessing of the Gift of the Holy Ghost. I know that this blessing will take her far in her life, as it has with me. I still remember the day I received this sacred Gift, as well as every day afterword when the Spirit was able to stand beside me and hold me up. He has been my teacher, comforter, and friend. A person I could rely on, when I had no one. I know that Marilyn Macreena has this Sacred and Holy being now beside her, to help her grow and stand strong as a member of the Church. And I know that the Holy Ghost will be as great a blessing to her as he was to me, if not more so. This I know, and bear solemn witness of, in the name of the Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen!

Well, that's it for this week! Catch you all next Monday!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	9. September 30-October 6

Hey everybody, Elder Weber checking in once again with an update as for how things are in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission! First, a report on the weather. Earlier this week we had a few run ins with some sparse showers and storms, but nothing too noteworthy until Wednesday, where the rain fell for over two hours, and lightning flashed and thundered almost every other second. My heart goes out to the Elders and Sisters that had to go out and tract in that ghastly weather, without a car to protect them. The rest of the week was nice and sunny, however. Perfect timing for the wonderful General Conference Weekend!

Next, we go over to sports. As I stated in my last letter, I got a new bike, and was thrilled. I did not yet realize, at the time, what it would feel like to bike around twenty miles a day, most of which was up hill. Needless to say, my legs are terribly sore, and falling asleep at night is_very_ easy. However, slowly but surely, I should be able to get used to biking such long distances, and my legs will stop moaning in protest. Besides that, should I continue with both biking and exercising with the Elders every morning, I should be able to return from my mission looking healthier and stronger than I ever imagined I ever could. So, for now, I'll just grin and bear through the agonizing miles to and from appointments.

Now, for the news. On Tuesday evening, Elder Proffit and I went on my first exchange. What is an exchange, you might ask? It's when two companionships in a District trade companions for 24 hours, and use the time to get to know the other members of the mission, and to generally mix the teaching up a bit. My temporary companion was Elder Sellers, and on Wednesday we tried out teaching. It did not go too well, as half-way through our tracting in Timnath Ranch, the storm hit us. And I, being the temporary senior companion, had given the decision that we would _not_ be wearing jackets, despite the terrible storm rising in the distance. Yep...not gonna make that mistake again. We had to hunker down for a while at a friendly member's garage, drying off as we waited for the storm to stop. When it eventually did, we were picked up by the other Elders and taken back to the church building to end the exchange.

Thursday was spent in interviews with the Mission President. Each person had a different interview time, so we took all four companionships down at around ten-thirty, and just waited the time out. I believe the words President Brown said, when he saw all eight of us already there was, "...we're gonna need a bigger room." After Elders Earls, Sellers, Mangrum, Corpus, Miller, and Wengreen went in and spoke to the President, it was finally my turn. President Brown asked me how I was doing in the mission field with my stress, how I well I was teaching, and reminded me to email him every week. Afterwords, we all went down to an all-you-can-eat pizza place. While there, we were asked by an old man at a nearby table to sing 'Happy Grandpa', sung to the tune of 'Happy Birthday', to his friend, who had just become a grandfather to a baby girl. The other Elders were cautious, and slow to accept, but we all sang the song for the man, and seeing the smile on his face definitely made it worth it.

The major high-light of this week would have to be General Conference, though. Myself and Elders Proffit, Wengreen, and Miller attended all of the sessions, watching the broadcast via projector in the Church building. There were a lot of very good talks given, and I was able to notice several profound subjects, most of which were based around the core beliefs of us Mormons. First, developing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, so that we can stand strong against adversities. Second, serving others and caring for those who are less fortunate than us. Third, Missionary Work, both by those called to serve as Missionaries, and by those who are considered normal members. Fourth, the power of the Prophets, and their status as leaders and teachers of this church. Finally, fifth, the ability to receive revelation and instruction from God, the Eternal Father, either personally by personal prays and scripture study, or generally by those who sit in higher seats of authority, like the Prophets, Bishops, and Stake Presidents. All this led to the closing talk by Elder Bednar, aimed directly at the nonmembers watching the broadcast. I find it interesting that this Special Witness of Christ would call for such a subject as explaining who we are, and why we are so passionate about our church, but I have feeling that it was with good reason. Who knows? Perhaps, now, there are several thousand nonmembers who decided to listen in, and are now wondering about what Elder Bednar said, and thinking to themselves 'maybe I shouldn't slam the door in those missionaries faces the next time they come by.

Well, whatever the reason, this week was great. Though there were not many lessons given, there were many lessons learned, and I am feeling confident to start this next week off with even more fervor than before! The lessons taught in this last General Conference were truly God-given subjects and talks. I feel certain, that if we all take in what we learned this last General Conference, we will be able to make our endeavors as members of this church improve by ten-fold! By increasing our faith, seeking to serve, teaching those we love of our beliefs, following the words of the prophets, and gaining spiritual insight from our Father Above, I know that in these things, we shall be successful. That those we love and care for may understand the desires of our hearts, and gain their own sacred connections to Christ, is my solemn prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

That's it for this week. See you all again next Monday!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	10. October 7-13

Hello everyone! It's me, Elder Weber, reporting in once more for an update as to how life in the mission field is. And...well, I'm currently covered in bruises and feel like my legs are about to pop off. Don't worry, it's nothing serious. Just the average, everyday life of a missionary. ...Well, the average, everyday life of a missionary in the Loveland Zone, with two trunky Elders travelling along with you_. _Yep, crazy, right? My story is an interesting one, so pull up a chair and grab some popcorn, 'cause this is going to be good.

After emailing y'all (good lord, I already am writing in the Coloradoan accent!), the other Elders and I went over the the Baer's house to enjoy the rest of the P-Day. Usually, P-Day at the Baer's includes eating ice cream sandwiches while competing in table tennis tournaments, enjoying a refreshing game of pool, or launching tennis balls at each other with lacrosse sticks, inside the Baer's indoor gym. However, this day we had a small change in plans. Somehow, the Stetson Creek Elders (Elders Mangrum and Corpus) had gotten their hands on two pairs of pro-boxing gloves, probably from a member or something. And they wanted to have a little fun boxing each other around. It was fun for a while, but after a few rounds, I was paired up with Elder Corpus. This man is easily a full foot taller than me, and a good fifty pounds heftier than me. Whoever thought it was a good idea to have the largest and smallest Elders go at it with boxing gloves must have been an absolute maniac. Suffice to say, after the first few blows, I ran like a headless chicken away from the tall Native American boxer. All the while, one of the Baer boys happened to be video taping the entire thing, and the other rounds as well.

Luckily, we got to him before he could post it on any site, and had him delete it forever. However, Elders Corpus and Wengreen weren't as lucky, as their's was posted on SnapChat. From what I've heard, everyone in the Fossil Creek Ward now knows of the "Elder's Fight Club". May President Brown have mercy on their souls.

After P-Day, the rest of the week passed on fairly slowly. However, on Thursday, I was able to once again enjoy an exchange. This time, it was with Elder Jensen, one of the Zone Leaders that looks out over the Elders in the Loveland Zone. Talk about terrifying. Lucky for me, Elder Jensen was very easy to get along with, so I looked forward to serving with him. Our first thing we were going to do was take care of weeds at the Church Building for a service project. However, before we could get very far with it, we found ourselves stuck in a downpour. It rained all day, and all night. Just biking from the building to home got us so wet, even throwing our clothes through the dryer twice didn't get them completely dry! So, once again, I had an exchange where we were unable to do anything of use.

Saturday, we had another chance to do some service. A young man was taking out the cement for fire pits at a large camping ground, and myself, Elder Proffit, and Elders Wengreen and Miller volunteered to join the work. Talk about back-breaking work! First we had to break the cement and remove the fire pits themselves. Then we had to dig square holes in the ground, and place large wooden frames in them, for the concrete to be filled in for the new fire pits. Then, when the cement was brought, the pits had to be placed back into their spots, with the iron pins used to hold them in place perfectly erect. We messed up several times, and by the end of it, I was dog tired. Then, the other Elders, including the Zone Leaders, decided they'd go and friendship a less-active. Friendshipping is when you form a bond with a less-active, before you begin teaching them, so they can trust you. We did this by LARPing with him, or Live-Action Role-Playing. Basically, eight full-grown men ran around swinging foam swords, shields, spears, clubs, and knives, and beat each other to a pulp. It's a lot of fun...unless you're the one they keep hitting! Seriously, I think the other Elders wanted to do this just so that they could have an excuse to beat up the greenie (me) some more.

So, between getting boxed by Corpus, drenched in rain, covered in broken cement shards and clay, and getting knocked around with foam swords, was it really any surprise that I practically passed out the second my head hit my pillow Saturday night?

Despite the negative points throughout this week, it's still fun being a missionary. I've made some good friends, and have really enjoyed being a part of this large family. And, the spirit is strong here. In fact, I have another story to tell you. Growing up, my dad told me a story of him losing his wallet, back before he became a member of the church, and how he found it again. Well, now I have a missionary version of that self-same story. Last night, Sunday night, Elder Proffit and I got back home, tired yet again. We had done a lot of walking (couldn't bike because Elder Miller had messed up Elder Proffit's bike seat), and we were just about ready to fall in bed and fall asleep. As we were dressing down, I reached to my back pocket to take out my wallet. Immediately, I knew something was wrong, because I _always_ button my back pocket up when I put my wallet in there. Yet, the button was undone, and the pocket was empty. My thoughts immediately went to 'I lost it'. This was bad, because we had been tracting in Timnath in the darker hours of the night, so it could have fallen out then. Or, it had fallen out in the van, and the Elders took it, thinking it was someone else's. Or, it could have fallen out in the Church Building, and someone in one of the later sessions had taken it home. Then, as I calmed myself, I told Elder Proffit of the situation, and he suggested we search the room, first. So we did.

Nothing.

We couldn't find it anywhere. We searched everywhere, the bathroom, the kitchen, the living room, under my bed, everywhere. Just when I was about to give up, I decided to continue the search tomorrow, and go to bed. As I laid down in bed, I sent a prayer heavenward, asking Heavenly Father for help to find my wallet. Instantly, I fell into the best sleep ever, and had the most clear dream I have ever had. It was like I was watching a video clip of myself. It was Saturday night, and Elder Proffit and I had just gotten back after our long day of service and sword-fights. I watched as I took my pens, pencils, notebooks, and _wallet_ out of my pockets, and tossed them at the edge of my bed. Then, the dream went black, and changed to Sunday morning. In the haste to get to church on time, because we had Ward Council at 7 in the morning, I watched as I fumbled around in the dark, slid my pens, pencils, and notebooks into my pockets, and ran out the door. While doing so, I saw my wallet get pushed back further under the bed, lost and forgotten.

The next morning, I got up and looked under the bed. Sure enough, there it was, sitting right next to the shoe-shining kit Elder Miller had given to me, about two weeks ago. I was dumbfounded. I had seen the shoe-shining kit the night before, when I was looking for my wallet. I had moved it to the side, to see if the wallet was behind it. And yet, this morning, there it was, with the wallet sitting right next to it! There is no doubt in my mind that that was an answer to my prayers. I don't know where the wallet was, between searching for it that night, and finding it that morning. Because, I promise you, it was not under my bed when I looked for it. And now, I have it once again. I bear my witness here and now that God does listen to our prayers, and He always answers them. While the answer may not come as quickly as mine did, they always come. God loves us, and He wants us to pray to Him, not just so that we can talk to Him, but also so He can help and bless us throughout our lives. I testify that He is our Heavenly Father, that He loves us, and wants only what is best for us. And as long as we follow His commandments, and turn to him when we are in trouble, He will bless us. I say this, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

That's all for this week! Catch y'all next Monday!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	11. October 14-20

So, another week come and gone. And, what do I have to show for it? Sadly, not much. Things are still going slowly here in the Fossil Creek Ward, with investigators becoming very few and far between. I've mentioned that we've had some potential investigators for a while. That is still true, but sadly, they still haven't made much time to talk to us. It's not only Elder Proffit and I that are having the trouble, either. It sounds like a lot of the Elders in our area of the mission aren't faring very well either. And with the days quickly getting shorter, and the nights darker and colder, the chances of filling our evenings with appointments, discussions, and lessons are getting fewer and fewer. Seems like this time of the year, with everything that goes on in life, is just an up-hill struggle in teaching. But, worry not! We _will_ press onward!

This week was transfers, when Elders and Sisters are sent to different areas in the mission, sent home, or, for the first time in their lives, enter the mission field. I was not directly affected by this, as I am still in Fossil Creek, and with Elder Proffit as my companion. However, one of the other Elders in our group, Elder Miller, got sent to the Young Single Adult's Ward in Fort Collins, around the college there. I'm very saddened by this, for two reasons. First, because Elder Miller was a very fun and exciting Elder, who always made District Meetings and P-Days a truly great event. And, Second, because that means I'm now stuck with Elder Wengreen for another transfer. Elder Wengreen isn't_all_ bad, to be honest...but I would not _ever_ recommend him as a driver, or as a serious missionary. He is _seriously_ trunkie, and I only hope and pray that this next transfer, he'll at least be able to focus on the work a little bit more, and not be so...immature.

But, with Elder Miller gone, that means someone has to replace him. And so, in comes Elder V. Elder V, or Elder Vakameilalo, is a Polynesian Elder from Tonga. When I say this, I mean fresh off the island, still learning English. He's a really nice Elder, and to be honest, he's not the worst Tongan I've ever seen. The other Elders were moaning about how he's going to be so big, and that he's going to eat everything, and that he could break me just by giving me a hand shake. But when I saw him, I couldn't help but think, "This is Elder V? The titan from Tonga? He's tiny!" And, really, he was. He's about six-foot, which is still a half-foot taller than me, but hey, everyone's taller than me! So, really, I am looking forward to working with Elder V in the nearby future. I just hope that Elder Wengreen won't corrupt him with trunkieness too soon!

We had Stake Conference this last weekend, and while driving down we found out that the brakes were in danger of failing. So, while down at the Stake Center area, we took the van over to a Firestone, and had them look at it. It turns out that some form of rodent had snuck up into the machinery at night, while the car was parked out on the road, and chewed up the brake wires! Can you imagine that? I didn't even think that was possible. So, Elder Holley, the elderly Elder in charge of the vehicles, reassigned us to a new car, a Subaru, and had us stick with it until the van can get fixed. We were all pretty bummed out about this, but we went on and all of us, all six of us, piled into the _very _small car. It was like a can of sardines in there! However, there was a ray of light amidst all this darkness. While we had been tossing our suit jackets and bags into the trunk of the Subaru, I found laying there an old Japanese-version of the Book of Mormon.

For those that don't know, I have always wanted to learn Japanese. It has been a goal of mine for many years. When I found out I couldn't learn Japanese by going on a mission to Japan, I have to admit it was quite a let-down. So, to find out that my mission president, President Brown, had served in Japan on _his_ mission, and that several of the Elders in our mission _speak_ Japanese, and that there is actually a family in our Ward that is _from_ Japan, it just blew me away. And, now, to find a Japanese-version of the Book of Mormon, just sitting there, in a car that hadn't been used for a while, probably since the Fort Collins Mission was founded about a year ago...it all just seemed like answers to my prayers.

However, when I asked President Brown about it, later that day, in the Adults Session of Stake Conference, he very kindly, and very firmly, told me to not waste any time on my mission learning Japanese. Surprisingly, I wasn't saddened, or angered by his advice. In fact, I was grateful. Perhaps it was because, deep down inside, I knew that my mission was no place to learn Japanese. And, yes, all signs seemed to point towards me getting the 'okay' from Heavenly Father to learn Japanese, and I feel that He _does _still want me to learn Japanese. Just, at a later date. Who knows? Maybe I'll serve worthily here in Fort Collins, learn Japanese once I come home, and then, only a few years after I've started my own family, I'll end up being assigned as Mission President for one of the missions in Japan! You never know.

And that's what I'd like to leave you with today. You never know what God has in store for you. We all have a mission to accomplish while we're here on Earth. Sometimes, we have the blessing of knowing what that mission is. But, most times, we haven't the foggiest clue. But, we live worthily, and serve diligently, and leave the rest in God's hands. The answer, or mission, that He gives us might not be the mission we expected, or the mission we wanted, but that isn't what matters. God knows us far better than we know ourselves. He knows who we are, what we were sent here to do, and what we need to do to accomplish that mission. So, don't ever fight God. He'll always win in the end. Besides, whatever God calls you to do _must _be good. For whatever is good is of God, and whatever is evil is of the Devil.

Aim to do good, my friends, and listen to what God asks of you. You never know where it may lead.

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	12. October 21-27

Hey guys, another busy week has come and gone, and once again I find myself seated at the computer, ready to tell y'all what's been going down in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission! This week has been great, by the way, far better than the one last week. We didn't have many lessons taught to investigators, sad to say, because it just seems that this time of the year just isn't good for families to sit down and listen. However, we _were_ able to get with a lot of less active families and members over the course of this week, and give them what I like to call 'The Missionary Next Door' lesson. Basically, we teach show them all the easy ways that they can share the gospel (inviting someone to mutual, sharing a mormon message on Social Media, watching a mormon video, going to a fireside, ect.), and then invite them to use these ways to spread the gospel to their friends and coworkers. So, it was a really progressive week.

However, despite that, I would like to focus for a moment on something that seemed to have taken center stage throughout this week; service.

This week seemed to be filled to the brim with service! First, on Tuesday, Elder Proffit and I joined Elders Wengreen, V, Mangrum, and Corpus in doing some basic yard work at this one less-active member's house. What we didn't know, in going over to this house, was that the man we were going to be serving owned his own miniature ranch, with a few sheep and chickens, and his 'basic yard work' was anything but basic. He had us digging up the metal frame his old fire pit had sat in (which was about four feet underground!), digging out all of the trash and weeds that were in the pit he was going to use as his new fire pit, pulling trees out of the ground and planting replacements, cutting down_all_ the limbs of his large globe willow tree, and mowing the excess alfalfa that had started to grow in his 'ranch area'. All the while, we had to be careful not to hurt the chickens that ran around like...well, like headless chickens.

After that, we found ourselves on Thursday raking leaves at the house of an elderly couple known as the Adams. This job called for all six of us Elders to band together again, as this was a very large yard, with _a lot_ of trees. We were working for probably three hours, raking the leaves into piles easily waist-deep, and then bagging them up in large trash bags, and slowly dragging the bags out to the curb, where Brother Adams later moved to the trash cans. This was probably the worst work we'd done yet, because the temptation to act like five-year-olds one last time, and just wreck havoc with the leaves, was so very, very strong. Not only that, but so many of the leaves were probably no larger than the tip of my pinkie, so it made it terribly back-breaking work trying to rake them all into a pile large enough to pick up and place in the trash bag!

After raking on Thursday, Elder Proffit and I had even more yard work to do on Friday, as a less-active/non-member family, the Dahlens, asked us to work on their yard with them while their house was getting painted. Brother Dahlen gave me a leaf vacuum (not a leaf blower) and had me suck up all the leaves that were spread across his backyard. Once again, this took a lot of work, especially because the suction on the vacuum wasn't all that great, and it took me several rounds to suck up all the leaves and toss them into the trash bag. Meanwhile, Elder Proffit dug up a garden full of weeds, picked up any of the apples that were on the grass that the worms hadn't gotten to yet, and cut away at the grass that was starting to climb up into the gardens throughout their backyard. So, by the end of that day, we were absolutely exhausted (on the plus side, Brother and Sister Dahlen took us out to a sushi place afterwords as a form of thanks).

As if that wasn't enough, Elder Proffit and I, with the help of Elders Wengreen and V, went over to a member's house, Brother Wheeler, and helped him in painting his fence on Saturday. We did all of the first coat, and had started on the second coat by the time about three hours rolled along, and we realized we had to go. We promised to help him with the rest, however, later this week. Then, that night, we helped the Elders Quorum President, Brother Seeger, and the other Elders in the ward prepare and run the Halloween Truck-o-Treat held at the Church Building. We acted as the muscle, setting up most of the tables and chairs, helping members set up the stoves and pots for the dinner soups, and moving the soups out to the buffet tables. Later, we helped run the games they had set up in the different classrooms, Elder Proffit and I working at the cup pyramid game. Over and over, we'd build up the pyramid with solo cups, and over and over it would get knocked down by one of the footballs we gave the kids that wanted to play. Who knew it could be such stressful work, both for the body and the mind?!

However, the highlight of this week when it came to service was perhaps the most random, and the most wonderful, moment of service I have ever experienced. We were driving home from Timnath, the other Elders had picked us up in the van, when all of a sudden, Elder V told us that he needed to buy more food for the week at the Walmart up ahead. At first, I was a little ticked off that he didn't buy his food on Monday, when we are supposed to buy our groceries. However, I decided to just let it pass, and we stopped at the Walmart for a short while, and he bought his groceries. Then, as we returned to driving down the road, we saw a car stuck in the center of the road, angled in an odd position, with two men standing behind it, trying to push it. The battery had died, and the driver was stuck in perhaps the busiest street in our area. So, Elder Wengreen pulled up beside them and asked if they needed help. One of the men, who looked eerily familiar to David Tenant from _Doctor Who_, told us they'd be happy for any help we could provide.

What happened next could only be described as a scene out of an inspirational movie. Instantly, all four of the doors on our van slid and swung and slammed open, and all four of us bust out of the van and ran to the car. We grabbed onto the end of the car and started pushing it out of the road and towards the library parking lot. There were so many of us pushing, that the car's weight seemed no more than a feather, and we ended up needing to run while pushing, otherwise we'd get left behind. Then, once we'd maneuvered the car into the safety of the parking lot, all four of us Elders then stepped back and ran back across the field that stood between the road and the library, seeing as our van doors were all still wide open, on the busiest street in the area. I can only imagine what was going through that driver's mind when we showed up. Just in the moment of her deepest despair, a black van showed up with four well-dressed men sitting inside. They offer their help, and with their combined strength, they push her car out of danger's reach. Then, when all is good and safe once more, the four men disappear into the night, as if they'd never even been there at all.

Awesome, right? If this week has taught me anything, it has taught me the power of service, and the joy that it brings into our hearts. As we were driving away from that last scene, the work of pushing the car still fresh in our arms, legs, and minds, not one of us could keep the smiles off our faces. My friends, we have not just been called and sent to this world solely for our own benefit. It is true that much of what we need or want can be given by and through the means of this world. But, my friends, these means can only give a temporary feeling of satisfaction for our wants and needs, and the way they give it is always in a selfish way. However, as the scriptures state often, Charity, the pure love of Christ, the willingness to give all that we have and all that we can into the service for others, is a thing that transcends the grave, that lasts for all of time and eternity. Charity is the way to have permanent joy and fulfillment in our lives, for the more we honestly and whole-heartedly serve others, the more like Christ we become, and the more we are able to feel the joy He feels for us each day of our lives. My friends, I ask that together, we strive to end each day of our lives, starting with today, with the feeling of wondrous joy that we were able to give our all in making someone else's day better. This may seem hard, but serving others can come in many different ways, and many of them are easy for us to do in our regular lives. Find the way that works for you, and it shall make your life truly glorious.

This I say, in the name of the Only Begotten Son of the Father, yea, even Jesus Christ, Amen.

That's all I have for this week! Talk to you all again next Monday!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	13. October 28-November 3

Hey everyone, it's your favorite Elder, Elder Weber, here once again for a report on how things are shaping up in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. Let me first say, though, before I begin to go into detail about my week, how happy I am to be able to serve in such a beautiful and wonderful place like the Fossil Creek Ward in Loveland, Colorado. It is a beautiful city, with so many kind and considerate families, who are always able and willing to work with the Elders. The Bishop, Bishop Cleverly, is perhaps the most joy-filled man I have ever met, second only to my own grandfather, Lou Sansevero. He always greets the Elders with a bright smile and eager handshakes, and often thanks us for the service we are doing in the mission field. The Ward Mission Leader, Brother Keat, is a friendly and helpful teacher and leader, and I have never seen him angry or annoyed whenever the Elders stop by to talk and teach. And, of course, the Mission President, President Brown, is probably one of the wisest and kindest men I have ever met, a born teacher and leader, and I look forward to working with him during the next twenty-two months of my mission.

Now, on to the week. Sadly, though I am still very grateful to be serving in the Fort Collins Mission, I must state, once again, that the work is going at a very staggeringly slow pace. However, that is not to say that it is not moving at all, nor does it mean that my days serving in the mission are being wasted. If anything, the months I have spent here in the Fossil Creek Ward have been the most spiritually strengthening and uplifting months in my entire life, and this week was no different.

To start off, let's go back to Tuesday. Elder Proffit, my companion, is a District Leader in our Mission, which means he is in charge of the work the other Elders in our area do. Under his direction are the Elders from Huntington Hills, Stetson Creek, and both halves of the Fossil Creek Ward. Every once in a while, the Elders that serve as District Leaders in a Zone gather together to plan out Zone Goals for the next month. I had been to a District Leader Meeting once before, and it sufficeth me to say that it went horribly. However, I put on a brave face, and followed Elder Proffit to the Stake Building for the meeting. When there, I found out that I would be working with the other Junior Companions the other District Leaders had to do a service project just a little ways away from the building. To my surprise, I was actually the most senior of the Junior Companions, as I had been out for two transfers now, and all three of the other Junior Companions had only been out for about two weeks. And, none of us had driving rights yet. Luckily, we all made it down to the house the service was being done at, and quickly went to work without any major complications. I can only wonder now what could have gone wrong though, with so many inexperienced missionaries together in one spot.

After the service was done on Tuesday, Elder Proffit and I went out to work on Wednesday. We didn't know exactly what lied in store for us, but I feel we were very willing and able to take on whatever came our way. It seemed as though the heavens had opened to us, much to my liking, as we were able to meet with not one, not two, but FOUR of our potential investigators! First, we met up with Mark, a man who lives a quiet life out in a small suburban neighborhood. After talking with him for a bit, we left him our number, and he promised to give us a call once everything settled down in his home. Then, we met with Joyce, a woman who lives across the street from the Meiers family, and who has acted as their surrogate grandmother for about ten years. She's a very nice and kind lady, and she reminds me a lot of my Grandma Weber. I hope we can be able to meet with her again sometime. Finally, we managed to meet with the McManus family, Pat (Patrick, I think) and Chelsea McManus. They are both very interested in the Gospel, and in fact often throughout our lesson, they would mention that what we were teaching, they could feel that they either believed it, or knew that it was true. Though they are a bit analytical and skeptical in their thinking, I have no doubt in my mind that, should we be able to meet with them on a more frequent basis, they'll both be ready for baptism by mid-December!

Thursday was spent searching for referrals. We actually had received one earlier in the week, but when we tried to find it, we found that the address didn't actually exist. However, we stopped by Brother Trenholm's house that evening, and asked him for his help in finding whoever the mystery referral was. Then, on Friday, Elder Proffit and I left for the Trainer's Meeting. I was very glad to see all of my old friends from the MTC-Elders Genther, Nielson, Noh, Dixon, Clavel, Pratt, Christensen, Leavit, and Lires-and was very glad to hear some very much needed advice from President Brown. However, the day took a turn for the more troublesome, as Halloween came around that evening, and we were all forced indoors by six-o'clock in the evening. Thankfully, Brother and Sister Baer let us come over to their house, so that we weren't too bored out of our minds. We were able to play some pool, table tennis, watch The Best Two Years, and even got to hand out some candy! Elder V was still pretty bummed by the end of the night, though. You know, being from Tonga, he's never actually had Halloween, and his first chance at experiencing it, he gets forced indoors. Oh, well. Finally, on Saturday, Elders Wengreen, V, Proffit, and myself were asked to speak at the baptismal service held at the church building. There were THREE baptisms going on, and it was cool to see so many young children walk into the baptismal font, eager to begin their lives as real members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

So, what is my concluding thought for the end of my email today? Simple, it's the same thought I gave at the baptisms on Saturday. As the old church song goes; "Onward, Christian Soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before." Our lives aren't just a journey-they're a battle. In a world filled with sin and misfortune, we must stand strong, and march on with bravery throughout our lives. Trials will come, and sometimes it will be hard to continue. As any of my Marching Band friends could easily tell you, our teacher, Mr. Graber, would always say, "This is a journey of 1,000 steps, and just when you think you're starting to get the hang of it, you get to the second step." After the second step, we would be faced with the adversities of weather, competitions, rigorous training regiments, and other things that brought many of my friends to their knees in tears and exhaustion. Such is the way with us in our lives. However, even though the trials may be terrible, even if all of Hell may stare us square in the face, I assure you, my friends, that our journey will end in success so long as we press forward with faith. We have the blessings of Heaven on our shoulders-baptism by proper authority, the gift of the Holy Ghost to stay with us so long as we stand in holy places, church leaders and family members who can support us and lead us on our way. Yes, the journey is long. The 1,000 steps are not easy. But, just as any of my Marching Band friends could easily tell you about Marching Band, the pay off from succeeding in our journey will make everything worth it. Please, never give up. Stand strong, and march ever onward. This I say, in the name of the "Royal Master", yea, even Jesus Christ, Amen.

Well, that's it for this week! See y'all again next P-Day!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	14. November 4-10

Hello friends, family, and other affiliated acquaintances. It's me, Elder Weber once more, checking in from the Fossil Creek Ward, Loveland Stake, in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. And guess what? WINTER IS HERE! It took up until the second week in November, but it finally came. Until today, we've had nice, hot weather, and only occasional showers. I was actually starting to think about pulling out my short-sleeve shirts again. Luckily, I didn't. Because today, Elder Proffit and I stepped out of the Houses' house to start our day, and it was about 20 Fahrenheit, windy, and snowing! Finally, it feels like the right time of year!

Well, now that my tirade about the weather is done, let me tell you about how this last week has gone in the mission. Once more, we haven't had much progress with lessons, due to how early it starts to get dark out here (5:00! Can you believe this?!). However, we may have more luck later on this week. Along with meeting the McManus family again, who are just as eager as ever to learn and discuss, we have found several more referrals that sound VERY excited to learn. They love the feelings they get from church, they want to feel it more, and they are willing and able to listen to whatever the missionaries may want to say. Some have even attended church several times already, and one attended a Youth Fireside late last night, something that even some of the youth in our church today are very hesitant to take part in! So, teaching them the correct doctrine and principles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints isn't going to be the tough part. What will be tough, however, is that those who gave us the referrals don't want to push very hard. Some, actually, don't want to push at all. They are hesitant to have their friends, children, and boyfriends and girlfriends learn about the church, most likely because they don't want to lose those relationships they have. However, sooner or later, we'll get to teaching them. And that's when things are seriously going to start lighting up in the Ward!

In other news, Elder Proffit and I were able to exceed our required amount of hours of service this week. We needed 10 hours, and we got 13! How did we manage this? Well, on Tuesday, I went with the other Junior Companions from the District Leaders in our Zone, and went over to the community kitchen, whipping up bags of snacks and small lunches for the poor and needy. I'd say we got about 125 done, between the four of us, in just under an hour. Then, on Thursday, Elder Proffit and I went over with the other Fossil Creek Elders to the Smith's, who had recently moved into a brand-new house, and wanted help putting in the landscape. We helped plant four sapling trees, one of which was a large pine sapling that probably weighed 400 pounds! Then, we went over to the Rob's house, and helped rake up all of the leaves in their yard. And let me tell you-there were a lot of leaves to be raked up. By the time we had to move on, we had filled five LARGE bags full of leaves, and still had several fairly large piles left for the Robs' teen-aged daughters to take care of. We then went over to the church building and helped set up tables and chairs for a Young Women's activity that evening. On Friday, the Fossil Creek Elders met up again at the Smith's house, but this time to lay down sod in the backyard. We managed to do that in about 3 hours, and still had two pallets of sod to go! (a pallet of sod usually has about six rows of sod, with eighteen rolls of sod on each row, each roll about five feet long) So, yeah, they had a lot left over. Finally, on Saturday, we helped this less-active member move out of his apartment, and into his parents' house. By the time we were all finished for the week, our arms were completely sore, and we were completely, absolutely done.

However, spiritually, we weren't finished yet. And on Sunday, I had a very spiritual moment happen. Perhaps Elder Proffit can't agree with me on this, but I feel that what I experienced at church yesterday was very profound, and perhaps could trump the spirit I felt while teaching the McManus' on Wednesday of last week. What happened? Brother Cameron Louchs, one of the Ward Missionaries in the Fossil Creek Ward, had been asked to speak on the temple. This was a fairly interesting topic to talk about, as it is with any of us when we speak about it, but the way he spoke about the temple in his talk was a way that surpassed any other talk on the temple I have ever heard or felt. He spoke of how, four years ago, he had been a single parent with a two-year-old son, and struggling with his new job. He put temple service as the least of his concerns, focusing instead on his family and his job. Honestly, in his position, I would have done about the same thing. However, as he went about this, his life only seemed to get worse. When he prayed to Heavenly Father to help him get his life in order, he felt strongly that he needed to attend the temple once more. It required a lot of sacrifice on his part, but Brother Louchs did so, and as he went, not only did his life get better, but through his attendance at the temple, his neighbor asked him about the church, was baptized, and later became his wife. Now, they are waiting to get sealed in the temple-hopefully before their first child together is born. Imagine-had he not made the sacrifices in his life to go to the temple, all the blessings he now has in his family probably wouldn't have come his way, and he wouldn't have affected or influenced as many souls as he had through his temple service.

And that is what I wish to speak on today, my friends. The seeds have been sown, nurtured, and raised long enough already. And now, as the scriptures often tell us, "the fields are white, all ready for harvest." All around us, there are hundreds of people we interact with on an almost daily basis. Don't say that you don't, by the way, because I know that you all do. None of us live in a tiny little bubble, we ALL interact with others almost every second of our lives. And of these many people who surround us day to day, there are many who may be ready and willing to learn about the gospel. Some may not know that they are ready, but their spirits are very eager to take part in the blessings of the gospel, regardless of what the costs may be. Don't let these chances pass you by! Be bold, and brave. Test your friendships out, and extend a loving hand towards those you care about, to bring them closer unto Christ. As we learn in Doctrine and Covenants, the worth of souls is great in the eyes of God, and the joy you feel by bringing one soul unto him is unlike any other in this world, except for the joy of bringing many souls unto him. This joy I speak of is the joy of knowing that when the end comes, and we have all left our mortal lives behind for a greater life, Telestial, Terrestrial, or Celestial, we will know that we will not only have family waiting to live with us once more, but friends, acquaintances, and other such loved ones, who are eager to thank us for the kind hands of fellowship we held out to them in bringing them unto their Lord and Master, yea, even Jesus Christ. Do not let worry or fear clasp your heart! If you extend your love for the gospel to others in a kind and loving manner, being gentle and kind, you won't lose friends, but gain eternal ones, ones that will last for time and all eternity. Dare to be bold, to be brave, to be strong in your beliefs. And if you do so, you and all those around you will be blessed. This I bear solemn testimony of, in the name of our Lord and Master, the Savior of Man-kind, Jesus Christ, Amen.

That's all I have to say for this week! See y'all again next P-Day!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	15. November 11-17

Hey everyone!

Elder Z. is here, once more, with an update on how the progress is going in the Mission Field here in Fort Collins, Colorado. To begin, let me just say-it is freaking cold out here! Remember how I mentioned in my last email that "the field is white, all ready to harvest"? Well, now the fields are just white. In just under one day, all of Colorado has become blanketed in a thick layer of white snow. And this isn't good snow, either. Good snow is thick, but wet, and useful-it makes the winter more fun. But this snow is thick_and_ powdery, cold and dry, and absolutely useless! It dusts the streets and the roads with a thin layer which easily turns to ice, and makes long-distance travel to anywhere in the mission nigh impossible! Though, I suppose I shouldn't complain _too_ much. After all, Elder Proffit and I had the car this week, when it was the coldest, while Elders Wengreen and V had to bike through the ice and snow. _And_, Elder Proffit's old trainee, Elder Komarek, is serving up in Wyoming, where it's both cold _and _windy, any missionary's worst winter nightmare! My prayers go out to him, and all other Elders like him who are facing the harshest winds and bitterest winters this world has ever made.

Well, on to the week! This week was another slow one (there have been a lot of those recently, haven't there?), and progress with teaching isn't all that great. However, this week was _very_ eventful, in its own special way. To begin, once again Elder Proffit and I went down to the Stake Center for the District Leader Meeting on Tuesday, and the Junior Companions were sent out on their own. I was worried at first, mostly because I didn't know if any of them knew how to drive in the snow or not, but after we had traveled about five miles at about 30 with zero fatalities, I lightened up a bit. We decided, because no one had planned for service projects in the snow (honestly, who would be crazy enough to do that?), to just go to the nearest thrift shop and do some bargain-hunting. One of the Elders was going to compete in his Ward's ugly sweater contest which was coming up soon, so he had a ball. As for myself, I didn't do too much shopping, but I did get a new scarf in case I end up getting transferred to Wyoming half-way through the winter. I also bought a cool tan trench coat, so now I am totally ready to cosplay for the start ofSupernatural: Season 10!

...which, unfortunately, I won't be able to see for another two years...

On Wednesday, Elder Proffit and I had the wonderful opportunity to teach the McManus family once again, though this time in the comfort of the Keat family's house. Remember, Brother Keat is the Ward Mission Leader, and has been helping us teach the McManus' the lessons. So, as we had previously decided, we taught them the third lesson; the Gospel of Christ. For those that don't know, the Gospel of Christ is composed of five parts (finding **faith in** our Savior, **Jesus Christ**, then **repenting** of our past sins and wanting to improve ourselves, then being **baptized** and honoring the promises we've made to God, receiving the **Gift of the Holy Ghost**, and listening to its guidance often, and finally repeating the process daily, and **enduring to the end**). As usual, the McManus' loved the lesson, were very involved, and I feel strongly that they are building their testimonies with every passing day. However, when we proposed the date we had been praying about for them to be ready for baptism by (December 13th of this year), they immediately shot it down. They said that they wanted more time to find more answers, and then hopefully be baptized on the Saturday of Easter Weekend _next year_. I have to admit, I was seriously disappointed. I'm hoping that either they will be completely ready by January, when I will hopefully still be in the area, or that they will stand strong in the faith until that Easter Weekend, and be baptized, either by myself, or by someone else. That's all I can hope for.

Friday was a very fun day. The snow had stopped falling for the moment, and it was actually fairly warm outside (up in the 20's!), so the entire Loveland Zone gathered together and decided to work on a very large service project down in the south. Last year, there had been a huge flood in the area, which sent debris and rubbish all across this one family's ranch home. Most of the hard work was done, but we of the Loveland Zone still had _some_ work we could do, by moving the large piles of sticks, branches, and even full-grown trees out to the side of the road to be picked up later on. And let me tell you-they definitely left us the dirty work. The piles were higher than I am tall, and between the mud from the flood and the snow from the winter, it was no easy job. A few of the bolder Elders tried digging the branches and trees out of a pile that had become merged with the bank of the river, and ended up falling butt-first into the ice-cold water _several _times, while I, the other Elders, and the Sisters all watched and laughed. The service came to an end when all the Elders decided to grab a large tree from the last pile and carry it to the trash pile up by the road. I don't know who was foolish enough to think up the idea (probably the Zone Leader), but we all pitched in, and with one exhausting effort, we managed to lift the tree up, carry it up the hill to the road, and throw it/drop it into the trash pile. Some of us afterwords laughed and said "that was more inspirational than Miracle!" Which, honestly, I'd have to agree.

The week came to an end with Saturday and Sunday, when the snow fell _hard_ once again. We were expected to drive down to Longmont for the Mission Tour. One of the members of the First Quorum of the Seventy, Elder David A. Baxter, was in the Mission's boundaries, and had decided to share his thoughts in several meetings over the course of six days. We eagerly listened to what he felt was important for us to know, and I have to say the old Scot's words of wisdom were both profound and prophetic, and I am glad I was able to listen to them. He told us first that Heavenly Father _does_ love us. That is not just hopeful wishing, that is a fact. He is even more joyous for us, also, because we are doing His work, and He couldn't be prouder of His children but for them that serve Him and His children with everything they have. He then said that the solution to having more families be prepared for the Second-Coming of Christ was to teach them with the end goal in mind; preparing them to live worthy to serve in His Holy temples and be ready for their interviews with their Savior and Redeemer. I can't say much more of what he said, because unfortunately I had forgotten to bring a notebook to write in, but let me say that it was indeed wonderful to hear. Finally, on Sunday, Elder Proffit and I went by the Miller family, half to warm up from the cold, and half to check in on the progress of a referral they had given Elder Proffit when he was first in the area. While the referral didn't go over all that well, we were blessed to have time to talk with the Miller family, and to give their son Brock, and their daughter Alyssa, blessings-Brock's for the pain in his back, and Alyssa for her foot surgery to go well so that she could return to her mission in peace. The Spirit in the room at that time was unbelievably strong, and I admit that I was close to tears a couple of times.

So, what spiritual thoughts or feelings do I have to share this week, you might ask? Well, this one is a little less wonderful than others. It was Thursday night, and I was laying in bed. Remember, this was the day right after we'd had the baptismal date fail with the McManus', and add to that the fact that we hadn't made much progress any where else in the area, I was feeling pretty bad. But, instead of blaming the weather, my companion, or the people in the area, I decided to blame myself. Which, if any of you really know me well, is never a good thing. I was seriously beating myself up, I felt that I wasn't living worthily enough to teach right, that God was upset with me, that I shouldn't even be on a mission to begin with. My thoughts were darker than a moonless night, and the longer I thought these thoughts, the darker and more malicious they became. But while I was thinking these things, I heard a voice, in the back of my head, say one single small word.

"Zack."

I have heard people talk about hearing the voice of God before. For some, it is loud and proud, while for others it is soft and comforting. But for me, in that moment, the voice sounded like an old friend, who had seen me at my lowest points, yet still stood beside me. The way God spoke to me in that moment with that one word was as if he were saying, "Oh great, Zack, are we _really_ going to go through this again?" You know, in a sarcastic but loving way. When I heard that, I almost audibly responded with, "No, God, we aren't going to go through this again." And just like that, the dark thoughts ended, and I was able to fall asleep peacefully, more peacefully than I have ever fallen asleep before.

My thought to you today is quite simple. God lives. He _is_ our Heavenly Father, our loving Father and Friend who watches over us night and day. He knows all of us by name. I know this, for I have heard Him call out to me by name. He loves us dearly, and continues to speak to us day by day. He speaks to us through His prophets, who lead the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with humility and meekness. He speaks to us through the scriptures, which teach us of His Doctrine, and what He would have us do to come unto Him. And he speaks to us through our thoughts, even when they are encircled about by the darkest of dreadings. All He asks of us is that we reach out to Him for love and comfort, and He will give it to us, regardless of our current situations. As the Book of Mormon prophet Alma the Younger once said, "**My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and the bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now, I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more.**" (Mosiah 27:29) May we all reach out to our Heavenly Father, who longs to give us the love and comfort we so desperately need in these trying times, in the end of the days of the earth. This is my heart-felt prayer for all of us today, in the name of He Who is Mighty Enough to Save, even the Son of God and Savior of the Earth, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Well, that's it for this week. I'll hear from y'all again next P-Day!

Stay epic, my friends!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	16. November 18-24

Hey everyone, Elder Weber here again with an email about how things are going in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission.

To begin with, this week was fairly slow, slower than normal, but we had several different events that made it exciting and worth while. But I'm not going to talk about that yet. Instead, I'm going to talk about the very big thing that is about to change the Fossil Creek Ward forever. Transfers. For those that don't quite get how missions are run area-wise, each Elder or Sister in the mission is assigned a companion and area to serve in, and serve in that area and with that companion for the space of six weeks, or a transfer. Every six weeks, the Mission President thoughtfully and prayerfully looks over the missionaries that serve under him, and decides where each should serve later on. Some, like my companion Elder Proffit, serve in their areas for five or six transfers, or eight or nine months, and have several different companions and roles. Others, which is far more likely, only stay in an area for two or three transfers, or three or four months, and usually with only one companion. Transfers are also the time when Elders and Sisters leave the mission at the end of their service, and board planes and trains to take them back home to where they belong.

With that in mind, starting tomorrow, Elder Proffit will be serving in the Boulder Zone, Broomfield 3rd Ward, the very most southern tip of the mission. Elder Wengreen will return home and begin living his life once more. And I and Elder Vakameilalo will become companions in the Loveland Zone, Fossil Creek Ward. From now on, Fossil Creek will be a one-companionship only Ward, and all the work in there will be handled by Elder V and me. I have to say, the thought of transfers both scares me and excites me.

I have enjoyed being trained by Elder Proffit, he is a great Elder, and someday will be a great member of this church (perhaps even a prophet). Elder Wengreen, while having his ups and downs, has been a great learning experience for me, and has taught me to be more loving and patient with others. He has also been a step towards humbling me and my over-sized ego from time to time. I am thankful for his work and presence in my life, and wish him luck in all of his future endeavors. God speed. And while I find it hard to understand Elder V from time to time, because he doesn't speak English as well as other Elders do, I look forward to working with him and his different personality and point of view. Even more, I look forward to serving not just the east-side of the Fossil Creek Ward, but the entire area, and everyone that lives within the Ward boundaries.

And so, with that, I believe I will end this email. I know, that isn't a very long email as compared to others, but there is very little I can say. This week was one filled with goodbyes, one filled with tears. But this I can say. Though Elder Proffit and Elder Wengreen are leaving their areas, and moving on with their lives, one with service in another part of the mission, the other with life back in his home, their work here will not end. They have left an impression on this area that will not be easily forgotten, and will be carried on by faithful Elders willing to serve their Savior with every fiber of their beings. And I am proud to be one of those Elders. Not only that, but the friendships they have forged here will not end, but shall last for time and all eternity. And so, though I must say goodbye to my friends and brothers today, I also say, with joy in my heart, "God be with you 'til we meet again. By his council's guide, uphold you. With his sheep, securely fold you. God be with you 'til we meet again."

God be with you all, 'til we meet again. This I say, in the name of my Lord and God, even the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	17. November 25-December 1

Happy Holidays, one and all! This is your very merry Mormon Missionary, Elder Weber, reporting in on another wonderful week spent in the Fossil Creek Ward, the Loveland Stake, the Colorado Fort Collins Mission! To start, I'd like to say to all of you out there reading this right now, hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving day, filled with loving kindness and surrounded by eternal memories made with friends and families by your side. This was my first Thanksgiving away from my family this year, starting off the first holiday season spent away from home, so I have to admit it was kind of interesting for me. But, much to my pleasant surprise, I haven't gotten the least bit teary-eyed or homesick yet! After all, I have seventeen years worth of wonderful family Christmas and Thanksgiving memories to keep me from being down in the dumps all of November and December. So, before I go into my weekly report, let me just say...Mom and Dad, thank you for making those last seventeen Thanksgivings and Christmases the seventeen best Thanksgivings and Christmases a boy could ever have.

Now, then, onto the week. As you all already know from my last email out, Elder Proffit is no longer among us here in the Fossil Creek Ward, and Elder Wengreen has jumped ship and headed back home to start out on his next mission-his life-long mission. So, with that in mind, on Tuesday morning, Elder Proffit, Elder V, Elder Corpus, Elder Mangrum, Elder Earl, Elder Sellers, and myself piled into our fairly cramped Grand Caravan, passed our bags over to the Zone Leaders, and took the twenty-minute drive down to the Stake Center for Transfers. While there, I was very happy to see some old familiar faces again. Elder Noh was there, passing off his Trainer to another missionary, and Elder Genther was there waiting for the Transfers van to take him up to Laramie. I also saw Elder Lires, who's coming here to serve in the Loveland Zone, and Elder Leavit, who's replacing Elder Mangrum in the Stetson Creek Ward. It was nice seeing friends old and new, all together in one place, before the major changes in our lives as Elders could begin. And, trust me, they began.

For starters, I am now living with our Ward's Bishop, Bishop Kyle Cleverly and his family. Bishop Cleverly is a very kind and friendly man, someone I have rarely if ever seen without a smile, and his family is just as wonderful as he is. Elder V and I live down in their basement, which they made as the traditional teenager's paradise. Sadly, the TV, Wii, and X-Box were taken out of the room, so it could be used for an Elder's home, but the ping-pong table and air-hockey board are still up and ready to play at any moments notice. We don't have as complete a kitchen as we did in the House's house, but what we have we can get by with fairly easily. Elder V is a little bit slower than Elder Proffit was at getting up...about an hour and a half slower...but once he's up he's always doing something productive. And, I do have to admit that serving beside a Tongan has been difficult, especially with the language chasm between us (he just beginning to learn English, and I having the entire Encyclopedia Britannica crammed into my head), but we seem to be doing all right. I even have started to get his sense of humor a little better!

Of course, this was all after Sunday, which I have to admit here, was a mistake on my part. Looking back now, I don't exactly know what happened, but to sum it all up in a few short words, Elder V and I had a falling out. I'm not sure why, or even what about, but because I wasn't listening to him I almost ruined our companionship. Elder V was just minutes away from calling up the District Leader and having us split up for the day, he was that ticked off with me. However, after we managed to calm down a bit, we decided to talk it out and figure out exactly what went wrong. It was a very humbling experience for me. I recognize here and now, I was the one at fault, not Elder V, and as such it is my responsibility to make things right. And, as of last night, things seem to be going better for us. We even had three lessons, the most we'd had in one day all week, and we worked so well together, I thought for a moment that I was working with Elder Proffit again. So, yes, I am confident that as long as we talk together and work together, we'll get along just fine, and be a very powerful companionship for however long we are together.

When it comes to the actual lessons, though, we haven't done so hot. We've had about six appointments that we have had set up for about a week or so, and then all of a sudden they've cancelled on us, deciding to head out of town for the holidays, or have family come into town for the holidays, and not wanting us around to disturb them. That definitely was trying on the nerves, but neither I nor Elder V have been deterred because of this. It just means we have more time to tract, to talk to members, and find more people to teach in our own ways. Besides, next week will definitely be better than this week, right?

Well, it's about time I wrapped this up, but before I go, the spiritual message!

About two-thousand-fourteen years ago, give or take a few months, a man and his wife traveled a very long and tiring journey across the hot desert land of the Middle East, away from their humble home in Nazareth to the man's place of birth years earlier, the City of David, the City of Bethlehem. Their reason for leaving their home was to obey the commands of the current ruler, Caesar Augustus, and pay their taxes in the city of the man's birth. The man, who traveled on foot, was known as Joseph. He was a simple carpenter, but his heart made him far greater than any simple carpenter before him. The woman, who rode on a donkey's back, was his wife, Mary. For her, the journey was even more burdensome, because she was nearing the end of her pregnancy, and would at any given moment give birth to her first son. But this was to be no ordinary son. This baby boy that she would give birth to was to be the King of kings, the Great Jehovah, the Holy Messiah. He was to be Jesus the Christ, the Savior of the World.

I bear my testimony now that Jesus is the Christ, and that on that beautiful desert night, He was born. Though He is the King of kings, He was born of humble and simple parents, who lived honest and simple lives. He was born not in a great castle or palace, but in a barn, surrounded by the animals of those who filled the inn nearby to near bursting. He was not wrapped in silk, but in swaddling clothes, and laid not in a luxurious crib, but a simple manger the animals fed from. In spite of these simple beginnings, though, Jesus Christ grew up to become a greater man than any other man before Him, or any man after Him. He was a great leader, teacher, and healer. He was the Christ, the Son of God. He lived, and He still lives. And some day, He will come again. Of this I know with utmost certainty, in His Holy name, even the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

See you all again next week!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	18. December 2-8

Hey everyone, it's me, Elder Weber! Yeah, I've got another great week to tell you guys about, but before I do, some of you have been concerned about what I said pertaining to Elder V last week. So, it is my deep pleasure that we are doing _much_ better this week. I mean, we haven't come close to killing each other just yet (unless it's over how the Monopoly game is going, which Elder V almost always seems to win), so that's good! We're still getting into slight disagreements, but we're starting to get along better, and talk out our problems a little more, rather than just go ballistic with each other. So, we're doing fine. And, unless something truly troublesome comes up in the next four weeks, I don't see us grating on each others nerves any more than we had last week.

Now then, onto the week itself. Now, I know that I must have started sounding like a broken record with this almost a month ago, but things are slow here. The lessons don't come in at wild numbers, like where twenty lessons is the _lowest_ you can go. But, even though we only managed to get eleven lessons this week, I have to say that this week was a great week because of the things, not necessarily lessons, that we experienced this week. To begin with, let's go to Tuesday, where we went down to the Peakview neighborhood, where some of our strongest yet humblest members live. We were meeting with Brother Camarao and his family, and had _planned_ on teaching a lesson on the importance of scripture study and prayer. Of course, we all know what _He_ thinks of plans. Instead of teaching about the importance of scripture study, we ended up spending about an hour and a half talking with the Camaraos and explaining how the events in the scriptures happen and line up. They wanted to dive right in and get into as much of it as they could, and I could see by the fire in their eyes that they were so ready to learn what the prophets of old had to tell them.

On Wednesday, Elder V and I headed out to Timnath, and had the happy occasion to teach the McManus family once again. This was Elder V's first time teaching the family, so I was afraid as to how he was going to work with them. After all, they weren't exactly the average investigator family. They're the kind of family that wants to know all the answers, the explanations for the answers, and how they all connect together in the end. Much to my surprise, and delight, though, Elder V totally dominated in the teaching, and we got a great conversation lesson going, kind of like the ones that I'd have with Elder Proffit. The spirit was strong in the room, especially when Sister McManus asked us if we knew when the Christ would come again (because we were teaching about the Gospel of Jesus Christ) and I was able to bear my testimony that though I don't know when it'll be, I do know, with all the conviction of my soul, that when He does come, I will be ready to great him as the King He truly is. Then, that evening, Elder V and I went back over to the Banagas' house. They were setting up Christmas, so we decided to lend a hand. Then, we sat back and watched a documentary on Handel's Messiah, a beautiful documentary both in music and in spirit.

Friday found Elder V and I at a Rehab Center for a Service Project that the Tribly District Elders had received, and asked us to join in. Basically, the center was going to be holding a Country Christmas Party, with music, food, and square-dancing, and because most of the patients at the Rehab Center were in wheelchairs, we had volunteered to do the square-dancing for them, by wheeling the wheelchairs around like we were square-dancing. We had a great time with it, and of the patients that joined the circle each round, there were two grinning and clapping old women that never left the circle, both having far too much fun to leave it. It brought a smile of my own to my face. Then, that evening, we headed off to the Ward Christmas Party, and enjoyed watching the new Mormon Message at the end, called, He Is The Gift. It was a great message, and if I could be so bold, I would ask that all of you reading this right now look into it.

Well, that was my week. Now, for the spiritual message.

One dark and lonely night many years ago, a few shepherds sat out by their flocks in the fields, keeping a close eye on each one of them, as all good shepherds do. Any wolves that happened to be prowling around in the dark of the night would be mighty fools to think they'd be able to get their fangs on any lamb that night, these shepherds were far too vigilant to let their flocks get caught by a hungry wolf. But there weren't any wolves lurking in the shadows this night-just the shepherds, their sheep, and...AN ANGEL OF THE LORD?! The shepherds were astounded! An Angel of the Lord, one of the great messengers from above, had appeared before them. Them, lowly shepherds! And what a message he had had to give; "Behold, I give you good tiding of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the City of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord!" Immediately, the shepherds gathered together their sheep and headed into Bethlehem, to see for themselves the babe that would one day be their King of kings. Now, this is the interesting part; it was not a great king or priest that first came to Christ on his birth, but lowly shepherds, simple men who had one goal in their occupation-protecting their flocks. I find it interesting that the very man those men were sent to meet that night was to be the greatest Shepherd of them all, even the King of Kings, Jesus Christ.

I know Jesus Christ lives. I know this, and I know that He will come again someday, to rule and lead His people once more. This I bear witness of, in His holy name, even the name Jesus Christ, Amen.

Well, that's it for this week. See you next week, everyone!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	19. December 9-15

Hello everyone, it's me, Elder We-_cough cough hack cough cough_-Elder Weber. Sorry, but it seems both I and my companion (you all remember Elder V, right?) caught a pretty bad case of the cold. And, let me tell you, there is nothing worse than being a missionary out in the mission field and getting sick. You're constantly tired and sluggish, coughing, hacking, and can barely speak, and your head pounds like you've got the world's largest marching band performing inside your brain. Now, back when Elder V and I were just average, ordinary young men who weren't out in the mission field, getting sick was great. You got to stay home from school, watch movies or play games, and eat nice relaxing chicken noodle soup all day long. But when you're a missionary, getting sick is the worst, because you know that you have a Heaven-sent mission to fill out, and when you're sick you can't do that. So every passing minute when you're sleeping in or hunkering down in your apartment until you get better are the worst minutes of your life!

But, enough with that! My cold hasn't affected me _too_ badly just yet, and I still have a very long week filled with interesting and exciting things certain to entertain you 'til the cows come home (or at least until something else more entertaining pops up, like the next Avengers movie, or a new Nintendo game)! To start off with, let's go back to this last Tuesday. We were told by our Zone Leader, Elder Greer, to stop by the Stake Center for some service. Turns out, however, that the Sister Missionaries were already there, and they were all that were needed to fulfill the service requirements. So what did all of us Elders do? We grabbed the Battle Wagon (our van) and sped off down the road to the Library for an early time. We sat around, listening to talks and videos, for about an hour or so, and then we were off again, this time to Sam's Club, where we sat back and enjoyed Polish Dogs and pizza slices. All was well, until one of the employees at the food court mentioned to us that, since we had such a large group, we could've just gotten a large pizza for almost half the cost of all the individual pieces put together. Elder Greer and Clay both were silent the rest of the day, too embarrassed and annoyed to dare themselves to speak.

The next day, Wednesday, was another great day, though once again not much was done (I'm starting to think that those Elders that rake in twenty or thirty lessons a week are fudging their numbers just a smidge). Once more, we had a lesson with the McManus family. As I've said in past emails, the McManus' are a golden investigator family-they couldn't be more golden even if they were related to King Midas (cue rip shot)! Anyway, Wednesday's lesson with their family was on the three commandments that set the Mormon religion (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) apart from the world. These are: the Word of Wisdom (don't drink coffee, non-herbal tea, wine, or alcohol; don't use tobacco or illegal drugs in any way that is harmful to your body), the Law of Tithe and Fast Offerings (give one-tenth of your income to the Church for temples and missionary tools, and every first Sunday of the month fast for two meals and give the money that would have been spent for those meals to the Church for welfare projects), and the Law of Chastity (no sex, passionate kissing, or anything lust-provoking before marriage, complete fidelity to spouse after marriage, and keeping one's mind clean and pure of dark and lustful thoughts as much as possible-something the rest of the world seems to have disregarded recently).

I was very worried to got into this lesson. I knew that the McManus' were already keeping the Word of Wisdom, which was why we taught that one first, but I wasn't so certain if they'd get the whole Tithe and Fast Offering thing. And with the world so off kilter recently when it comes to morality, and my own uncomfortability with discussing the Law of Chastity, I wasn't certain how the lesson was going to go. To my surprise, though, the McManus family understood perfectly the Law of Tithes, and were ready and willing to abide by it once they were made members. And, they were already discussing the Law of Chastity with their kids, so that went well.

The next day was even better, because we had the Christmas devotional for the mission. Thursday found me, Elder V, Elder Corpus, Elder Leavit, Elder Trottier, and Elder Earl hopping into the old Battle Wagon once again and taking the twenty minute drive down to Longmont for our Devotional. It was great-there were probably about twenty musical numbers, including one that included the entire Loveland Zone (the song's called Olive Tree, if you were interested), many of the Elders and Sisters were called up to bear their testimonies on the Savior and his birth, and we watched a beautiful video on Christ's birth. Afterwords, though, was the part that really made my day. WE GOT PRESENTS! Yessir, when the Devotional was over and we were all sent down to the Relief Society's room to grab our mail, the first few Elders that went in were almost buried by the packages that tumbled out of the nearly over-flowing room. There was one Elder I saw that had about six boxes in his hands, and one Sister needed a cart to carry all of hers! When I got home, I found that one of the boxes was my December treat box from my mom, and the other two were present boxes. Elder V and I have had fun with the advent calendars, and stringing the lights up around the room (mostly around my bed).

But, of course, Sunday was the best, as well as the worst, day of the week. By then, both Elder V and I had gotten hit hard with the cold, and could barely function. After getting home from Church and the Ward Missionary Coordination Meeting, we collapsed in our beds and thought we'd take a little break for a while. That "little break" ended up taking about four hours, as very shortly after we had climbed into our beds, we both fell quickly and quietly asleep. We woke up only once it got to be around 5:30, just in time to smarten ourselves up for dinner at the Banagas' that evening. It seemed as though the Banagas' had heard about our weary situation, as they had quickly come up with all sorts of food that are good for fighting colds-garlic-laced spaghetti and meatballs, oranges and orange juice, fresh vegetables, and hot cocoa. We sat back and chatted for a while, just enjoying ourselves. We shared a message on the power of the spirit, and then one of the boys pulled out a Connect 4 game, which we then got into a battle royal over. So, yes, it was definitely a great day to end the week on.

Sorry that I don't have an inspiring message this week. Can't do much spirit-wise when the body's all out of wack. But I promise, I'll have a really powerful message for y'all next week. So, until then, stay epic my friends!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	20. December 16-22

Hello everyone, once again it is I, the ever-impressive Elder Z. (known by most of you as "Zack"), sending out yet another email explaining the oh-so-riveting facets of missionary life. To begin with, I have some _very_ good news to share; I GOT OVER MY COLD! It took six cans of chicken noodle soup, two bottles of orange juice, and an entire sack filled with fresh oranges and clementines, but after all that hard work, I'm finally back and better than ever! And, it has definitely shown in this last week. This has probably been my favorite week in the mission field yet, because so many interesting things happened, as well as just flat-out wonderful experiences that I just have to write you all about. So, without further ado, here we go!

Tuesday: Tuesday found me and the other Elders in our area having an extra P-Day. As most of you might know, P-Day's for us Elders are only on Mondays, and we spend those days getting all ready and prepared for the long and very tiring week ahead. Well, this last week, Elders Corpus and Leavit decided to spend their usual P-Day out doing service instead of getting prepared for the week ahead and emailing everyone they knew back home. So Tuesday became their P-Day for the week, and because Elder V and I have the van to take them everywhere, it also became our second P-Day. It was fine, because we had needed to do some extra shopping on Tuesday anyway (dang cold was still lingering around), and Elder Leavit wanted to buy a board game to pass time when things are going slow work-wise (which is practically every other evening for us Elders). The day was going good up until about eight o'clock that night, when Elder V and I were doing the last of our shopping, and he seemed to be looking for something in particular to purchase. I tried to help him out, genuinely help him out, and he suddenly went ballistic on me for practically no reason. Apparently, I was scowling and speaking in too harsh a tone, and he thought I was trying to act superior to him. By the time we got back home, we could barely speak to each other.

Wednesday: After our rather rough patch the night before, Wednesday found us splitting up for the day, in the hopes of keeping us from killing each other. I was left with taking care of the work in the Fossil Creek Ward with the District Leader, Elder Farnsworth, and Elder V went off to the Boyd Lake area to work beside Elder Farnsworth's companion, Elder Bacon. Elder Farnsworth was fairly easy to get along with-like me, he likes to sit back and discuss deep, philosophical facets of Mormon Doctrine when nothing is going on. We planned to spend the afternoon going around to the less active members of the Ward and teach them some lessons. Instead, however, we ended up only teaching one of the less actives, who then went on a fairly short but detailed rant about how unfair life was and how no one in the church seemed to care about all the insanity he was forced to go through. In response, Elder Farnsworth and I put ourselves to work in fixing up his house and getting his junk out into the garage, something he had needed help with for a long while. By the end of the visit, the man had a wide smile on his face, and promised that he'd try to get to church sometime, hopefully this Sunday. I couldn't help but smiling afterwords, feeling that we had definitely done something good and fulfilling that evening.

Thursday: On Thursday, Elder Farnsworth and I had to split up again and go our separate ways once more. However, before we did so, we had a Zone Meeting we had to attend, and then afterwords we'd swap back companions and be on our way. The Zone Meeting ended up lasting about four hours, and once or twice I found myself spiraling away into dreamland. Sorry, but I couldn't help it. I mean, honestly, who could possibly last four hours straight of sitting in a hard folding chair listening to people talk about how to improve missionary work in our area? Certainly not me, nor the District Leaders that were sitting on either side of me, as we were all slipping in and out of consciousness several times throughout the Meeting. The day did end on a high note, however, because as the Zone Meeting was coming to a close, the Zone Leaders began handing out packages that had come in over the last week, but that they had been keeping hostage until the Meeting. In other words, I got presents and letters from my Grandma and Grandpa in Utah, my Grandma in Rhode Island, and letters from very close family friends. So, before I move on to the next day, let me just say...Thank you!

Saturday: Friday was a very slow day, sad to say. All that we ended up doing that was worth mentioning was go over to Stetson Creek Elder's house that evening and play the board game that Elder Leavit got earlier that week. However, Saturday was much more exciting, and well worth writing about. To start the day off, Elder V and I ferried Elders Corpus and Leavit to one of the church buildings down in the more southern-half of our Zone. Apparently, some of the Elders were getting together to get some fun exercise in by playing basketball for a while. Now, because we were playing basketball, none of us showed up in regular missionary attire (white shirt, slacks, belt and tie, name-tag), but simply wore work-out or casual clothes. Right after the basketball games came to a close and we were preparing to drive back to our areas and start our days, we got a text from a less-active member that was moving into Fossil Creek Ward Boundaries and wanted help moving his stuff into his apartment. We agreed, even though we didn't have time to change out of our casual clothes, and then spent about five or so hours moving this man's stuff into his house. It seemed to take forever, but once it was done, we were all feeling good, and as we piled into the van once more, we felt we were definitely ready to start our day. And that was when we got another text, this time from the Assistants to the Mission President (aka the AP's). Apparently, all four of us had failed to fill out some online form that was due that Sunday, so we needed to get it finished A.S.A.P.

This is where the day took a turn for the worse.

Because we had already spent the first two-thirds of our day in non-missionary clothes already, we didn't see how it could hurt to go to the library and fill out the forms while still in street clothes. So, we all went to the library and went onto the computers, filling out our forms as fast as we could. However, while we were there, some of the Fort Collins Zone Sister Missionaries happened to see us in the library, recognized us as fellow missionaries, and also recognized that we were not dressed appropriately as missionaries. They left, called _their _Zone Leaders, who then talked with us for a short while on what we were doing and why we were dressed inappropriately. I wasn't too concerned about this, to be honest. One of the Zone Leaders talking to us was Elder Esplin, the past Zone Leader for the Loveland Zone. This was the same Elder that used to participate in LARPing games (Live Action Role Play) to reactive less active members, so I knew he'd be fine with us and our situation. What I didn't know was that his companion is a total whistle-blowing brown-noser, who then called both the AP's and our Zone Leaders, and told them that we were lazying about the library in non-missionary clothes, and getting onto the internet doing who-know's-what!

Needless to say, that evening was the longest evening ever, as we had to explain this whole thing to both our Zone Leaders, who now see the Stetson and Fossil Creek Elders to be nothing but trouble.

So, yeah, that's how my week went. So, what message could I possibly have to say to end this with?

There are times when things in our lives will take a turn for the worst. We'll lose our jobs, people will become bitter towards us, and it might even seem that the entire universe is hell-bent on making our lives as utterly terrible as possible. In all of this, we are asked to keep our heads up and to brave the storms around us. Why would we do this? Why would we go on with our lives, even though everything tells us that nothing good can come from even our own existence? "**Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God. **(Ether 12:4)" We press on in our lives, regardless of the odds, because we believe in something greater than the filth that fills the world we live in today. We believe that if we press on in faith and in hope, doing all that we can do to live up to His expectations of us, our Heavenly Father, the Ruler of the Universe, promises us that we will be rewarded in his kingdom, even with a place at His right hand. This faith is why we're able to endure such trying and terrible things around us. It makes us strong, and sure, and steady. As long as we continue to put our faith in Christ, in our Savior, I know that the storms around us will not be able to overcome us, but that we will be able to stand sure and steady, and look forward with excitement for that day when God looks to us and says with joy in His voice; "**Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things.** (Matthew 25:21)

I know that God lives. I know that we are His children, and that He has a plan for all of us to return to Him in glory and wonder. May we all stand sure and steadfast in faith in Him and His son, for all the storms that await us on our journey to our Father's kingdom, is my prayer, in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	21. December 23-29

MERRY CHRISTMAS, ONE AND ALL! This is your favorite Missionary, Elder Zachary Weber, checking in once again to report on what's been going down in the Fossil Creek Ward recently. And, I'll be honest-not much has happened recently teaching-wise. Due to the icy conditions out on the roads and the rough schedules with the families that we work with in our ward, this week just hasn't been all that easy for us and our work as Missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. However, that doesn't mean that this last week has been a total waste of our time, nor are we saying that it's been uncomfortable for us. In fact, this week has been one of the best weeks I've ever had the wonderful opportunity of experiencing so far on my mission. Though I've been far from my family during this spectacular holiday season, I have been able to enjoy every single minute of it, and grown closer to the true meaning of this happy holiday.

So, how _did_ Christmas go down for Elder V and I this year?

It all started out on Christmas Eve, early in the morning. After rising slowly from our beds and getting ready for the day, we piled into the Battle Wagon once again and drove off to the furthest corner of our area, visiting the families that lived there, and leaving a few loving Christmas Messages. We were happy to stop by Brother Holm, who was busy working on his house once again, and who told us that he was happy to get some help from us, if we could give it. We began a long and frustrating search throughout the Ward, searching for leftover cardboard boxes that Brother Holm could use to pack up his house for the move. Though we couldn't find any that day, we got some members of the Ward to work together this next Tuesday in helping him box up his belongings, get the painting done, and clean up his house-all things he has mentioned needing help with doing. After that, we stopped by the Camarao family, just as Sister Camarao's father stopped by for a surprise visit. After talking with Brother Camarao for a few minutes, both Elder V and I felt a bit awkward and intrusive, so we politely stepped back out of the house and headed on our way, wishing the Camaraos a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year on our way out.

That evening, Elder V and I were happy to join the Cleverlys for Christmas Eve dinner and a few of their family's Christmas traditions. The dinner was wonderful, as it always is at the Cleverlys' house (except for the fact that they didn't have corn souffle!), and after we had ate our fill, Sister Cleverly whipped out a chocolate cheesecake for dessert, a very delectable treat, if I do say so myself. While enjoying the cake and waiting for the rest of the evening to wind down, Elder V and I played a fun game of Headbandz with Bishop Cleverly's sons. It was fun to watch us struggle to figure out what we were, when to everyone else at the table what we were was absolutely obvious (once, I had snake, and even after asking if I was a pet, had fur, and had legs, I still couldn't figure it out!). Once we'd had our fill of joking around with each other, Bishop Cleverly had us gather in the Entertainment Room for a Spiritual Christmas Message. He asked us what was our favorite scripture that talks about Christ, and asked us to bear our testimony on the Savior. I realize I usually only do one Spiritual Message each email, but I thought it'd be appropriate to mention what I said that Christmas Eve night.

"**And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.** (Alma 7:11-13)"

What stands out the most to me with this passage of scripture is the last part; "Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh..." Christ, being born of Spirit and of Man, was able to know all things perfectly from a spiritual aspect. And, because of that, He could have understood perfectly how to help us out of our sins without having to experience all the pains of Gethsemane and Galgotha. However, Christ loves us far more than just that. He loves us so much, that even though He understood our pains from a spiritual and mental angle, He willingly took upon Himself our pains and infirmities so that He could know and understand our pains and griefs from a physical and emotional angle as well. Because of Christ's love for us, He took upon Himself all the pains and sicknesses and infirmities of this world, so that He could be our perfect Savior and Redeemer, our perfect companion during this long and terrible journey in this wretched yet wonderful world. Saying that I'm grateful for what Christ has done for me doesn't even scratch the surface for what I feel from His sacrifice. He is the reason I've given up two years of my life to spread the Gospel-because He loved me enough to suffer for me, I'm out here to help others learn of the love He has for them as well.

After the testimonies were all said and done, we quickly ran back downstairs to our home and slid into bed, ready for Christmas Day. That morning, Elder V and I ran off to the Baer's house for Christmas Breakfast and the chance to open a few presents. Little did we know, however, that these "few presents" were actually about a dozen different wrapped packages for Elder V and myself, nestled under our very own miniature Christmas Trees! If I recall right, I got several different Japanese treats from a Brother that had served in Japan on his mission (really glad I mentioned my love for Japanese culture when I met him), at least six different ties, and a small LEGO set from the Baer's youngest boy (don't tell the Mission President!). After the presents had all been unwrapped and the action had died down some, Elder V and I sauntered down into the Baer's basement, where we played a rousing game of pool with their eldest son, Max, who was just about to leave for college at BYU. We finally decided to head on our way when the Baers began their preparations for the Christmas call their daughter was going to give them from her mission.

Speaking of which, right after we returned from the Baers' house, Bishop Cleverly called me upstairs from our basement home, saying he'd finished getting the skype ready for my Christmas call with my family. I wish I had a picture of my and my mom's face when the screen lit up, and we were able to see each other once again, for the first time in four months. Mom, Dad, Katie, Becky, Belle, they were all there, and all doing well. It was so nice to see them all again, and hear their voices. They've seemed to have grown up a bit since the last time I saw them, and according to them, so have I. They waited until the skype to open the presents I sent them, which I was very grateful for, as I was able to see their ecstatic expressions the very minute they opened their gifts. As the time wound down, I got some nice one-on-one time with each of my family members, chatting aimlessly about how things were going with me, and how things were going with them. It was really nice, but kind of sad too, because I knew that the time was almost up, and I'd have to say that painful word once more-goodbye. My mom asked if I could close us with a prayer before the call could end, which I gladly did. Then, with tears in my eyes, I closed the message, both more joyful and more hurt than I have ever been before in my life.

I had just learned what it really meant to be homesick.

However, even though I'm far from my family, and feeling these less-than-happy feelings, I couldn't be happier. I came out on a mission because I have a wonderful blessing in my life-I know that though I am separated from my family for now, I will be with them again for time and all eternity. For I have been reborn in Christ, and entered into His fold. I have taken upon me the sacred and hallowed covenants made in the temple of my God that allow me to be sealed with my mom and my dad even after we have all left this earthly life behind. I know this to be true, and so I exert every possible part of me in spreading this truth to others who seek it, that they may take part in the glorious blessings our Heavenly Father is waiting eagerly to give us. That is why I am out here-away from my family for now, so that other families can be together forever. That is my calling, and it could not be possible without my Savior, and our Savior, Jesus Christ. He made it possible for all of us to be saved, from our sins, from our griefs, even from death itself. He made this possible for us, and now I serve Him, so that others may know of His work, and might come unto him with happiness and joy.

That is what I was able to relearn this Christmas Season.

So, with that in mind, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas Season, and a wonderful New Year. And if you have questions or concerns about your life, make it your New Year's resolution to seek these answers out. Who knows? You just might find exactly what you never knew you were looking for-absolute and eternal joy. And this I say in closing, in His name, even the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	22. December 30-January 5

Hello everyone, this is Elder Z. reporting in once again with the epic and exciting news on what's going on in the Fossil Creek Ward and the Loveland Zone. First off, may I just say...Happy New Year! 2014 is long behind us now, so strange because it feels as though it only just began a few months ago, at least to me. Gosh, scary how fast time flies. Yesterday, when Elder V and I were attending the Elders Quorum meeting at church, the lesson planned was about New Years Resolutions, and the conundrum of End-of-Life Regrets. It's kind of scary just how many resolutions are made each year, and how many of those are given up on half-way through the year...or worse yet, two weeks into the year! This is just me talking, but I'd like to see if we can't change those statistics this time around. Let's try and set some real, manageable, life-changing goals, and make it through the year abiding by those terms set way back now at the beginning of the year. I left one in the last email for those of you who are questioning your current religion or theology, and I'm certain that there are tons more out there to test and enjoy. So, what do you guys say? Let's get out there, and make 2015 the best year we've had yet!

Now, then, with that out of the way, I have to admit that this email isn't just about the "New Beginning" we're all facing, what with it being 2015 and all. No, this is an email for a new beginning with me and the other Missionaries in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. Tomorrow, just as I mentioned in the email sent out back in November, is Transfer Day. And on Saturday night, while chilling out with the Stetson Creek Elders, I found out the Transfer Doctrine. Before I say that, let me just say that Transfer Doctrine for Missionaries is a lot like the Super Bowl for Football fanatics, in that we have high expectations for what happens on Transfer Day, and make loads of predictions about it. Some even try to go total Black Ops. on President Brown, and find out the Transfer Doctrine early, before it's been sent out to the mission. So, while I was with my District, we decided to do Transfer Prophecies, and try to predict where each of us was going. My prediction everyone gave me was that I would be going to a really hard place, way away from everyone else in the mission, but be very successful and have a totally awesome Missionary as a companion. So what was my Transfer Doctrine?

"_Elder Weber will be leaving us, he is going to be companions with Elder Tapia, who will also be leaving us, and they will serve together in Kimble, Nebraska, in the Cheyenne East Zone._"

...Nebraska. Frickin' Middle-of-Nowhere, Nebraska! I'm not mad, or upset, or anything like that, honest. I'm just...Nebraska? First of all, that lines up perfectly with my Transfer Prophecy, because Nebraska is the furthest point from the mission you can go. Hardly anyone gets shipped out to Nebraska, and I'm getting shipped out there for my second area? Then, there's my companion, Elder Tapia. This guy is actually not that big of a problem-in fact, he's practically the living embodiment of that old proverb, "there's a time for everything". He's a hard worker, and loves to work, but he's also able to chill and relax, and if things are slow, he's a load of fun to have at your side. So, I'm actually excited to be working with him. Finally, there's the fact that we are replacing a Senior Couple, rather than regular Missionaries like myself and Tapia. I'm worried, because that means we'll basically have nothing to go off of, as opposed to having an area already set up for us, like Fossil Creek. However, in other areas where regular Missionaries replaced Senior Couples, especially in those "middle-of-nowhere" states, the work load has literally exploded! So, it looks like we could be having a lot of fun this Transfer!

So, why am I complaining?

...I really don't know myself, to be honest...

...Anyways, with that in mind, I'll talk to y'all again next week, from someplace up in Nebraska! Wish me luck!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	23. January 6-12

div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"Hello everyone, this is Elder Z. ! That's right, I'm back once again, and made it safely through Transfer Day! Well...mostly safely. Elder Tapia (my new companion) and I had to put our bags onto the Mission's Trailer so that they could get to Nebraska safely. However, once we got to Nebraska, and were picking the bags up, one of mine went missing! Luckily, it was only the bag that has my non-missionary clothes in it, as well as my extra missionary books, like span style="text-decoration: underline;"Jesus the Christ/span, span style="text-decoration: underline;"Preach My Gospel/span, and span style="text-decoration: underline;"Ensign/span. My scriptures, personal hygiene items, and missionary clothes all made it there safely, so I can still at least work hard until I can get my other bag from my new Zone Leaders, who are actually serving in Wyoming right now./div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"...yeah...I may never see that bag again.../div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"Anyways, besides losing my bag, everything else seems to have gone just great! Instead of living with members, like I had with Elder Proffit and Elder V back in Fossil Creek, Elder Tapia and I are living in a double-wide trailer, equipped with five beds, a personal washer and dryer, a dishwasher, an oven, and one of those old TV's that are as wide side to side as they are front to back. Our landlord is a nice and kind 80's-ish old man named Joe, who always seems to have a smile on his face, and actually gave us some pancakes and jams the first real day we were in the area. Also, we no longer have strongemThe Battle Wagon/em/strong (Fossil Creek's Grand Caravan). Instead, we have a small and simple Subaru that has great gas mileage, but is probably too small a car to be handling the rugged roads of Kimball, Nebraska./div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"That brings me to the other interesting fact about my new area. Though Elder Tapia and I are technically serving in Kimball, our area is actually a Ward made up of about a half-dozen small towns, the largest of which is Sidney, Nebraska, the home for the famous hunting/fishing outfitter, span style="text-decoration: underline;"Cabela's/span. So, we are actually sharing the area with the Sidney Elders, Elder Snelders and Elder Layton. Elder Snelders is actually a missionary I already knew-he was one of the District Leaders back in Loveland. Elder Layton, however, is a greener greenie than even I, and comes from the strange and exotic world of Alberta, Canada. Working with them, especially with how to divide up the Ward, has been a very interesting and enjoyable experience, though also a bit of a headache now and then./div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"Besides our fellow Elders, the people in our Ward are some really great and amazing people. Most all of them work for, or are in some way related to, the span style="text-decoration: underline;"Cabela's/span franchise, and as such, there are some very interesting characters to be found here. Like for instance...the Jones'. The first day I met them, I walked up onto their front porch with Elder Layton, Snelders, and Tapia, and the first thing I saw was a dead raccoon laying in a cardboard box. Elder Layton, rather than being surprised or disturbed by the lifeless creature, merely chuckled and said, "looks like Brother Jones finally took care of his pest problem." When we went inside, I found out that the raccoon was probably the least of the sights I'd see with Brother Jones. A real, bona fide hunter, Brother Jones does his own tanning, smithing, and carving. Last night, at dinner, he went into deep detail about how to tan a deer's hide, and even brought out a rifle of his he uses on some of his big-game hunting endeavors, while also cracking some hilarious jokes about his hobby-based work. So, for the most part, I'm getting the feeling I'm going to like this Ward./div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"The excitement doesn't stop there, though! Not only is this Ward filled with friendly and comedic hunters and outdoorsmen, but so far the experiences I've gained here in the first week surpass those of Fossil by a long shot. On Friday morning, after driving through the cold fog of the day, our Mission got the chance to hear from Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Some of the Elders there were afraid he was coming to give us an Apostolic beat-down, and chastise us brutally in front of the Mission President. But, no, when he got up to speak, he looked out over our still, silent crowd, and began cracking some sarcastic comments. Instantly, all the tension in the room disappeared, and we were able to really enjoy ourselves, listening to him talk to us in a very friendly, casual manner, and have us answer some non-aggressive questions. He even answered some questions from the crowd, questions that ranged from "what impact has your wife and your family had on your life" to "what was it like being called as an Apostle" to even "where is the Sword of Laban"./div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"...actually, that last one he just gave the Elder that asked it a blank, "are-you-kidding-me" stare and shook his head.../div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"But, all in all, it was a great conference, and the spirit I was able to feel there, while listening to one of the fifteen Special Witnesses of Jesus Christ bear his testimony and answer our questions, was incredible. I'm very thankful for the chance I had to listen to him, and to learn from him. I hope that, with as magnificent a beginning to this Transfer, I and Elder Tapia will be able to have a wonderful six weeks here in Kimball, Nebraska, doing whatever we can to expand our Master's garden ever further into the world. I know that the work will be hard-I'm going to have to work in a completely new way than how I did back in Fossil-but as long as Elder Tapia and I put in our best, whatever we reap is what we deserve. And I know that with our Heavenly Father supporting us through this, we will do many great and marvelous things here. That is my prayer for this next Transfer, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen./div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"Well, that's all for this week. See y'all again next Monday!/div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"-Elder Z. S. Weber/div 


	24. January 13-19

div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"Hey everyone, it's me, Elder Z. , ready to give you an update on how things are going out here in Nebraska. Sorry that I didn't email yesterday, a lot of things happened that made it impossible to get even a quick update email out to anyone. To begin with, yesterday was Martin Luther King Day, and as such, the small-town library Elder Tapia and I go to now to email and such was closed down. Also, we had to go down to Loveland, back in Colorado, so that I could get in with the Mission-assigned Doctor for a quick check-up and prescription refill. The driving took three hours on its own, and then add into that the fact that Elder Tapia wanted to find the new Mission Office and grab some supplies for missionary work...yeah, we were gone a emlong/em time. But I'm here now, so let's get going!/div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"First off, Elder Tapia and I have been able to see some substantial growth in our work here, which has really brought a bright spot of sunshine to my cloudy life in exile. We've started to get to working with and finding out the old less-active members of the Ward that live in our area, and try to see what we can do to get them back into the church. One of them happens to be our next-door neighbor, and though he seemed a bit reclusive when I first heard about him, when I met him in person this last week, he showed himself to be a truly deep and philosophical man, who was gaining deep inspiration and knowledge from the scriptures. It seems to me that the only reason many of the less-actives in our area are less-active is because church is forty minutes to drive to each Sunday. If that truly is the one problem they're having here, though, then I have one thing to say-LET'S BUILD US A CHURCH HOUSE IN KIMBALL AND START UP THE KIMBALL WARD!/div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"(I mean, really, that seems like the easiest answer, right?)/div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"After working with our less-active members, Elder Tapia and I have also been able to get some success from working with the progressing investigators the missionaries before us left for us to take care of. Elder and Sister Beste did a lot of good here, because we have about three different progressing investigators in our area. One, named Lance Flohr, is almost completely ready for baptism, but because of work problems and him getting sick a few times, the baptism has been pushed back to until he's clear and ready to go. Lance also has a little brother named Brad who's also interested and very close to being ready, but from what I've heard, he's a little shy and awkward, and as such is more than just a little bit worried that he'll fail as a full-time member. I can't wait to meet him personally so that I can, in some way, alleviate those concerns. Finally, we are working with a man named Brian McKay, who just so happens to be the great-grand-nephew of President David O. McKay, one of the past Presidents of the Church! He sounds like he needs a few more lessons, and more work with reading the Book of Mormon, but given the time, he could be just as ready for baptism as Lance is!/div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"Outside of our work, this week has also been one filled with interesting situations and sights-things that have made me turn around and say to myself, "Elder Weber, I don't think we're in Colorado anymore." For starters, out in the center of the largest park in our area, Gotte Park, sits an enormous missile from the forties. It's completely unequipped, not a danger to anyone here in the least bit, of course, but can you imagine walking through the park and seeing an enormous work of warfare sitting harmlessly in the field just to the right of you? It's insane! And then, on about Wednesday, Elder Tapia and I found a deer skull on the side of the road, while we were walking around the town. My reaction was to simply stare at it in interest. His was to pick it up, take it home, boil it in a large pot, and then hang it over the fireplace for decoration. That emdefinitely /emwouldn't have happened in Colorado, and I don't think it's very common in Utah, either. To top it all off, last night the Elders got together with a member, Brother Jones (have I mentioned him yet?), who was going to crack open some pig skulls, take their brains and blend them in a blender, and then use them to tan his deer hides. To say that was an interesting experience to witness doesn't even scratch the surface!/div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"So, yes, this is an interesting place to be in. I mean, I never thought I'd be sitting at a member's house where the dinner conversation's topic was about taxidermy or hide-tanning. Nor did I think I'd get a companion that would be able to add to the conversation with perfect synchronization, and long to join said member on his next hunting venture. And yet, I've found myself loving this place greatly. It's true, the Lord does send us exactly where we need to be, and where we can be best put to use. Even if it seems completely ridiculous, the Lord knows what he's doing. So even though the work is hard, and I'm working with people I never emever/em thought I would associate with, emever/em, I'm glad to be serving here, in Kimball, Nebraska, where marvelous works and wonders come about by small and simple means. This I bear personal witness of, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen./div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"-Elder Z. S. Weber/div 


	25. January 20-26

div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"Hey y'all! I'm back! Elder Z. is back, once more with an update on how things are going here in the mission field. And let me tell you...this week was actually very tame. I know, I know, no week in the mission field is ever "normal" or "average", but compared to the past few weeks (where I've listened in on discussions of how to properly gut and clean a deer, or in-depth analyzations on what caliber of gun is most effective in hunting), this week was the most normal week I've had yet in the strange world that is "Middle-o-Nowhere, Nebraska". So, what exactly happened this week?/div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"span style="text-decoration: underline;"Wednesday:/span Wednesday found Elder Tapia and I starting out at our new service project. Unlike back in Colorado, where we would work in Soup Kitchens, or help out at Senior Centers, here in Kimball, Nebraska, our chance to serve the community comes from working at the Recycle Center there on the edge of town, off on the most-western end of main-street. What work do we do at the Recycle Center, you may ask? Well, on Wednesday, Elder Tapia and I ran around the town, riding in the Recycle Center boss' truck, picking up recyclable paper and cardboard boxes from the numerous businesses around the small town of Kimball. I have to say...it was interesting. Elder Tapia looked like he was having a serious blast, though, as he did a lot of the driving, and was ruling the stick-shift like he was born driving./div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"span style="text-decoration: underline;"Thursday:/span After working hard on Wednesday at the Recycle Center, and as Mormon missionaries in the town, I was able to enjoy spending my Thursday with my District Leader, Elder Snelders. I've mentioned before how exchanges work, right? Well, in case you've forgotten, every once in a while the District Leader goes off with one of the missionaries in his District, his companion with that missionary's companion, and spends the next twenty-four hours working with that Elder and helping him with the work in that area. Well, working with Elder Snelders was very interesting for me. He helped me out with finding some good finding activities to use, due to us being in a very different area than what we were normally used to. We also worked on the car, the "Subi" or Subaru, because the low-lights on it were going out. Definitely a memorable experience...as well as frustrating.../div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"span style="text-decoration: underline;"Friday:/span Aside from the headache from the Subi and its headlights, Thursday was great. But it was nothing when compared to what Friday morning had in store for us. Once again, we were at the Recycle Center, but seeing as Elder Snelders and I hadn't exchanged back yet, the two of us went off to work in the Recycle Center, rather than Tapia and me. However, instead of rounding up paper and cardboard, Friday was spent in a more...destructive way. Elder Snelders spend much of the time smashing glass beer bottles that had come in from the bars in the town, and me and another volunteer there worked hard packing cardboard into a cardboard compressor and getting it packed up into a small, foot-by-foot cube like the ones out of emMonsters, Inc./em Suffice to say...it was totally awesome!/div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"span style="text-decoration: underline;"Saturday:/span Finally, on Saturday, Elder Tapia and I spent our evening once more at the humble abode of the Jones family. After working hard all day, I was ready for whatever odd hunting story Brother Jones had ready to sling my way. What I was surprised by, however, was that his topic of the day was about the novel he was trying to write with his second-oldest daughter. When I heard that, I had only one thing come to my mind; em"Finally, a subject I can relate to!"/em Brother Jones and I spent about the next hour or so talking about his and my stories; from genetic mutations that create reptilian, amphibian, and even mammalian dragons, to the horsemen of the Apocalypse being very real beings, who fight not emfor/em Satan, but emagainst/em him, in an attempt to ready the world for the Savior's Second Coming. I have to say, it was a lot of fun, having someone to spitball ideas at, who was both receptive, and eager to add instruction and ideas./div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"So, yeah, this week was awesome. And, I even have a spiritual message to go along with it, too! I know, I've been lagging a bit with them, but this one is great. Simply put-I'm imperfect. I'll be the first to admit it. Even more than that, I'm no way ready to be out here. I mean, the things I'm supposed to be doing are crazy, insane, and nigh impossible on my own. And it's not just me-everyone has this thought when given a new calling or mission in life. But you know what's the greatest thing about that? The Lord qualifies us in our weakness. "By small and simple things are the great things of this world come to pass." Even though I'm imperfect, I'm small, weak, and definitely not the most-skilled person in the world for this job, Heavenly Father knows that. And He knows that I emam/em good enough. I may be small and weak, but because I am small and weak, I can turn to him for help and support. And through him, I can do many great things. And, if we all put our trust in the Lord, He will do the same to all of us as well. I know this to be true with all my heart, and I bear my witness of it, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen./div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"Well, that's all for this week. Hope to hear from y'all again by next Monday! Stay epic, my friends!/div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"-Elder Z. S. Weber/div 


	26. January 27-February 2

Hello everyone! It's me again, Elder Z. , with a quick (or more likely not) update on the workforce here in Kimball, Nebraska. Sadly, this week wasn't as "normal" as last week was. Oh, we didn't have any insane hunting incidents, and actually the goat-butchering that Brother Jones had planned for us on Saturday last week was cancelled due to the snow and harsh cold, so I can't talk about that until next week. However, even without the hunters and the hunting, this last week was definitely one worth writing home about.

To begin with, let's go back to Tuesday of last week. Last week, I mentioned that I went on Exchanges with Elder Snelders, who is currently serving in Sidney, Nebraska. Well, on Tuesday, I had the lucky occasion to work with _his_ companion, Elder Layton, while Elder Snelders and my companion, Elder Tapia, worked in Sidney. I'd like to say that, with the switch-up of companions and the wonderful weather we'd been blessed with that day, we got more work done than any other day so far...but we didn't. Mostly, what Elder Layton and I ended up doing was sitting around the apartment, passing the cellphone around as we tried calling up the less-active members of the Ward that live in Kimball, and seeing if we could set up an appointment to teach them and their family. And of the about fifteen families we called up, five of their numbers were disconnected and three of their addresses were incorrect, or simply did not exist to begin with.

While Tuesday, and the exchange we had on Tuesday, was pretty much an utter let-down, Wednesday was much more exciting, and interesting. After we exchanged companions back and had finished our District Meeting, the four of us Elders decided to pay a visit to a fairly (in)famous family that lived just a few miles out of Kimball; the Zwonitzers. The Zwonitzers are well known for several different callings and occupations they have held over the years, but the most interesting fact they are known for is that Brother and Sister Zwonitzer live in an abandoned and unarmed Missile Silo. They gave us the grand tour of their "house", showing us where the missile used to sit, ready for war; how the silo gets the power to run, and how it was operated; and what renovations they had done to the place to make it their home. It's really something else-it was like one of those awesome houses from a sci-fi TV show, or the scene for a Zombie Apocalypse video game. It was awesome!

After getting the grand tour of the "underground house" and parting ways with our Sidney friends, Elder Tapia and I spent the next couple of days running around Kimball, trying to get work done. It was slow progress, but we managed to get to teaching some of the less-active members that were still in town and willing to listen to us. All this was leading up to Saturday, the day we were hoping to be our pay-off day, due to it being the day we were supposed to be helping/watching Brother Jones butcher some goats for a friend of his. However, Friday evening came around, and we found out that the goat-slaughter was being postponed until the _next _Saturday, or February 7th. We couldn't understand why they'd push it back to then, and we were really let down. However, on Saturday morning, we found out the real reason why it had been cancelled, and it was more than reason enough for us.

President Brown was coming to give interviews.

Not only was he coming out to the out-lying areas, the "banishment" as we call it in the mission, to give us interviews, but because there was no other place in Kimball to meet, he was coming to _our house_ and meeting with us in our personal space. As soon as we came to the knowledge of this surprise, Elder Tapia and I burst out into a flurry of action, trying to clean up our mess of a house as quick as we could before President could get there. I was absolutely nervous, frazzled like never before. I didn't know what he'd say, what he'd do, if we were doing well enough out here for us to not be worried. When he finally came to our house, I was pretty much ready to pass out from the stress of it all. To my surprise, though, President Brown showed up with a broad smile and a bone-crushing bear-hug, which was the last thing I'd expect from him. He wasn't even fazed by the deer skull we still had sitting on our mantle, and when he found out we didn't have a dinner appointment for that evening, he and Sister Brown offered to feed us at Pizza Hut after interviews were over. I was too surprised to say anything against it.

When it came time for me to have my interview with President Brown, my anxiety was gone, and I was eager to talk with him. The smile never left my face as I explained to him the plans Elder Tapia and I had set up for Kimball, and the reason for my cheerfulness in my emails to him. After a while, he finally said something to me that touched me deeply. He said, "Elder Weber, I'm glad to see that that spark of joy you had in your eyes when you first came off the plane hasn't dimmed the least yet. It's my hope that it never does while you're out here." A spark of joy. I wasn't even aware that I had this feature to my countenance, though it made sense. Though I've had my fair share of trials already while on my mission, I've never been more happy than I am now, while serving my Heavenly Father, and His children. More than that, I've never been so filled with joy than I am now.

That's what I'd like to talk about today for my spiritual message; going through life with a spark of joy in our eyes. It's hard, yes, with the wicked world that surrounds us and touches almost every facet of our lives. In spite of that, I know that we can push through that. We are children of a divine being-the Immortal and Eternal God of the Universe. Though the experiences we face in our lives may be hard, it can all be made easier when we put our faith in that simple yet beautiful truth and trust in our Father above. We _can_ find that never-ending happiness, and it _can_ make our lives so much more worth the living. This happiness, or rather this joy, comes from living like our Savior, our Father's most perfect disciple, Jesus Christ. If we commit ourselves to living and striving for those sacred and blessed Attributes of our Savior, namely _Faith, Hope, Charity and Love, Virtue, Knowledge, Patience, Humility, Diligence, _and_ Obedience_, we will find greater amounts of happiness in our lives, gain the ability to endure even the harshest of trials, and attain the radiant spark of joy that fills our Savior's eyes. This I bear my witness of, in the holy name of our Savior, even the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	27. February 3-9

Hey everyone, it's me, Elder Weber, back again with a newsletter about how things are going out here in No-Man's-Land, Nebraska. Things this week have been a bit rough-we've had some struggles getting together with our investigators Brian and Lance, we've had some problems with communicating with each other, Sidney Elders to Kimball Elders, and we've even had some trouble working with (and against) the weather. For instance, earlier this week, while driving home to Kimball from Sidney, Elder Tapia and I got broadsided by a blizzard coming in from the west. Don't worry, we're fine! Neither of us got _too_ badly beat up by the snow. But, only a couple of days later, temperatures soared to the low-seventies, perfect weather for walking...if it weren't for the fact that every sidewalk, curb, and street was pretty much a miniature white-water river rapid system, caused by the melting snow. Seriously, there were times I worried that I'd slip and end up getting carried a few yards down the road due to the power of the current!

In spite of the crazy weather, Elder Tapia and I have been able to make the most of our service this week, sometimes using the weather against itself in order to do said work. It all started out on Wednesday, when Elder Tapia and I were doing our service at the Recycling Center. Due to the blizzard that had rolled in over-night, the roads and streets were cold and icy. So rather than work on the large piles of metal and glass that were getting covered with snow outside, we were left with crushing cardboard in the warmth of the indoors. However, even that did not save us from the cold, as no more than an hour after we got started, a large garbage truck came rolling in through the garage, the garage door left wide open, and the wind blowing snow and ice into the garage. Apparently, the truck had broke down while trying to drive out throughout the town, and had stopped at the Recycle Center for repairs. So, for the rest of our service time, the garage door was open, and the sounds of drills, ratchets, and repairs prevailed over all other sounds in the garage.

Soon after our service at the Recycling Center was finished, Elder Tapia and I got a call from the Sidney Elders telling us that our District Meeting that afternoon was to be cancelled due to the snow (strange that both an Alaskan and a Canadian would be scared to drive in the light snowfall we were having at that time of day...but oh well). However, they did ask us three hours later if we could come into Sidney to help them with shoveling snow throughout the town. At first we hesitated. Then, they mentioned we were also getting dinner in Sidney, and so we quickly decided to head over. Luckily, the snow had all but finished falling at that time, allowing us a quick ride over to get the work done. We had a blast shoveling the snow, though many times we were asked why we were choosing to shovel the snow for other people. We even had a police officer, in his car, pull over beside us and ask us what we were doing, and why we were doing it. Honestly, it's as if they didn't _want_ us to shovel the snow for them!

Anyways, after the snow-shoveling was finished, Elder Tapia and I headed back home...just as the blizzard started roaring in again. Luckily, we got home safely. And the next day the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the snow was running in thick rivers down the road, from the south end of town to the north. Due to the niceness of the day, we were able to have Sidney join us for the District Meeting that had been cancelled the day before. After discussing what could be done to improve work in the area, our two companionships split up, me going with Elder Layton and Elder Tapia going with Elder Snelders. Our objective-talk to as many of our less-active members as possible, and find out what is keeping them less-active. We were able to make some good progress, I think, because most of the members we visited with genuine concern actually came to church that Sunday, and (from what I could tell) enjoyed the services that were held that Sabbath Day! So, I feel it was a very good way to spend our day.

The rest of the week flew by with a breeze, and soon Saturday came back around, once more. However, it came with slight disappointment, just as with last week...we weren't able to slay the goat again! For some reason, the goat-slaying that had been planned for _last_ Saturday and had been moved to _this_ Saturday, was now being moved back even further to _next_ Saturday. So, rather than spend our day killing goats, Elder Tapia and I turned our attention to service, by going to one of the active families in Kimball (the Markums) and helping them paint their dining room's walls...which was an utter failure, because the paint caused whatever thin coating on the wall to become flimsy and soft, and easily sloughed off the wall! So, after scraping the coating off of the wall, we ended up having to go over the wall with paint once again. We weren't even able to finish the room before Elder Tapia and I had to leave so that we could make it to our dinner appointment in Sidney on time. But, still, it was a fun way to spend the day.

So, what message do I have to say to end this week off with? Strangely, it has nothing to do with the immense amounts of service I and my companion gave this week. No, it has to do with the work we did on Thursday evening, when we split up companionships and went to talk with the less-actives. Each family we met understood the gospel very well-some of them were even High Priests, and had previously served as bishops and stake presidents. However, here they were, failing to keep one of the simplest commandments ever; keep the Sabbath Day holy. The services done on the Sabbath Day aren't just some fun activity the church thought up for us years ago-it is a Heaven-sent program that refuels us for the next week. By partaking in the ordinances there, such as the sacrament, and the recommitment of ourselves to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we fail to stay strong through the week. Trials that are hard for us are even harder, because we have not renewed our commitments to our Father in Heaven; "**that [we] are willing to take upon [ourselves] the name of [His] Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he hath given [us], that [we] may always have his Spirit to be with [us]...**(Moroni 4:3)." If we can't do this, we cannot have the blessings necessary to make it through the week.

This I know, with all the surety of my heart, in the name of our Savior, even the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	28. February 10-16

Hey everyone, Elder Z. is back, once again, with an update on how things are going here in Kimball, Nebraska. But, before I get to that, I'd like to wish all y'all out there a Happy Valentine's Day. Hope that it was a great day for all of you, spending time with the one you love, and celebrating that love in the most rational-and irrational-of ways. However, if you had no one to love last Saturday, then I hope you were able to enjoy Singles Awareness Day (S.A.D.) in the single best way possible-watching sappy romantic movies with a huge bucket of chocolate ice cream as a snack! I was able to have a wonderful Valentine's Day, actually, thanks to the lovely package my mom sent me, which I got on Thursday. So, before I get on with my week, I'd like to say real quick-_THANKS MOM, AND HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO YOU TOO!_

A-hem! Anyways, this week has had it's ups and downs, but as with every week I've had on my mission, it's been...interesting. The first half of the week, sadly, didn't have much happen. If it did, then I and my horrible memory have completely forgotten them. However, things started getting really good around Thursday. Not only did I get my Valentine's package from my mom that day, but Elder Tapia were able to spend our day over in Sidney during our District Meeting. After discussing what more could be done to help the Sidney Ward, we went off on a wild divide-and-conquer mission across Sidney, trying to find as many less-actives as possible, and slimming down the terribly immense Ward list by as many people as we could. By the end of the day, we were able to make some good progress-though the list is still very unmanageable.

Friday really took things off for Elder Tapia and me, as we went right back to work that day with service. In the morning, we were at the Recycle center-while Elder Tapia worked on the plastic bottles and such, I spent much of the day smashing glass bottles out in the back and pretending I was part of the crew from _Tarzan_ during the "Wreck the Camp" scene. Afterwords, we headed off to the senior-center in Kimball, where we helped the residents out with their enthralling games of bingo. Finally, the day ended with a visit with our investigator, Brian McKay, with some very good news as well. Not only has he been off coffee for three weeks now, but he's also getting to reading the Book of Mormon seriously, and he's planning on attending Church more often than he has in the past. This is great, because really that's all he really needs before he can be baptized! Whoo!

Saturday, Valentine's Day, was also very interesting, but in a very...very different way. We were _finally_ able to witness the goat-slaying we had been craving for the past three weeks! Brother Jones took us out to his friend's ranch, where the goat was ready for us, and showed us the techniques he had in slaying and butchering animals. It was an interesting experience, watching him peel the skin off of the goat's body, remove the guts his friend wanted to cook, and then cutting up the goat's meat so it would be ready for dinner. Then, we all headed back to the Jones' house, where we enjoyed hot dogs roasted over their backyard fire, and were able to help Brother Jones take the goat-hide he'd gained from the slaughter and get it ready for tanning. It was an awesome experience, and one that I won't forget anytime soon.

Speaking of moments I won't ever forget, Sunday was also amazing. For the first time in my Missionary career, I (and my companion) had been called to give a talk during sacrament meeting. It was fairly intimidating for me, because I was speaking to a Ward that I was still very new to, and I wasn't exactly certain how to give the talk to begin with. However, things were able to work out in the end, as I was able to give a powerful talk on the importance of members in keeping new-members strong in their conversion. This approach, using members to help in teaching, and friendshipping, new investigators, new members, and less-active members, is something I've come to know as the "Alma-Amulek Approach", and if used well, it can make new-member's lives easier, and their conversion to the Gospel all the more stronger.

Well, that's all I've got for this week. Sorry that I don't have a spiritual message this week, but that comes with good reason. Once again, Transfers are here. And, sadly, Elder Snelders and Elder Layton are gone, off to new areas. We wish them good luck in their endeavors, and I wish myself good luck in tolerating whoever will be their replacements.

Hope to hear from y'all again next week!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	29. The Three Needs of a New Member

**So, this is my talk I mentioned in the last chapter...hope that y'all like it!**

**The 3 Needs of a New Member**

Hi. Seeing as this is my first time speaking in this Ward, I suppose now would be a really good time to introduce myself. My name is Elder Weber, and I and my companion, Elder Tapia, are currently the Elders serving in the Kimball-half of this Ward. I am from South Jordan, Utah, have been off on my mission for almost six months now, and have been loving my time serving the Lord.

Before I begin my talk, I would like to share with all of you a story. I use this to help the subject I am about to speak on, as well as paint a picture for all of you about the importance of my topic.

My story is about a young woman named Nikkole, or Nikki for short. Nikki lived in Riverside, California, with her mom and dad, Jo and Louis Sansevero. They were a wonderful and loving family, but they had something missing. Jo and Lou were raising their small family in a non-religious environment. And for a young woman like Nikki, that absence of religion could be very dangerous as she grew up, branched off, and became her own person.

And then, something happened. While going through high school, Nikki became interested in the Mormon Church. Her mother, Jo, had family in Utah that was Mormon, and whenever she attended their meetings, she felt something…more, something that she couldn't seem to explain. Nikki decided that she liked the Mormon religion, and began attending meetings in her home in Riverside on her own. She was scared, shy, and more than just a tiny bit intimidated by all that went on in the meeting house.

Luckily, this fear didn't last very long, as Nikki soon found friendship in the form of another young woman named Shauna. Shauna helped Nikki feel included—she took her to Seminary with her, she helped her with the Missionary Discussions, she made her feel wanted. She was Nikki's guardian angel in human form.

After Nikki was baptized and left high school, she started to fall away from the Church a bit. She was continuing down her path of finding herself, and finding meaning in her life. At around this time, when she was in her early twenties, she came to a pivotal moment in her life. She met a young man named Steve. Steve wasn't a member of the Church—in fact, he was as much a less-active Catholic as she was a less-active Mormon. In spite of them having slightly different religious backgrounds and up-bringings, the two were happily married, and soon began raising a young family in Augusta, Maine.

At this time in Nikki's life, she became aware of the need for a good, strong religion in her children's lives. She didn't know much about Catholicism, which Steve and her had attended a few times since their children were born, so her thoughts turned back to Mormonism. The good, fond memories of her young member life in the Church came back to her, and she knew it was the Church for her family.

Soon the whole family was attending Church. Steve was baptized as well, though he felt out of place at first, and soon began to teach Seminary at the local meeting house. And then something amazing happened. Inspired by their daughter's example, and driven by their desire to be a greater part in their grandchildrens' lives, Jo and Lou were baptized as well. A year after their baptism, the family was sealed in the Salt Lake Temple, and to this day, they are faithful and strong members of the Church.

What does this story have to do with the message I wish to tell? This story is the story of my mom, Nikkole Maria Sansevero Weber, my dad, Steven James Weber, and my grandparents, Jo and Louis Sansevero. Each were converts in the Church, and each, when converted, had feelings of anxiety. They felt like they were the small fish in the big pond. Everywhere they looked, there was someone who understood the Gospel better, who had a stronger testimony, who spoke the Mormon language better than them. Being a new member in an atmosphere like that was intimidating.

Though we'd like to deny it, this is the experience most recent converts have when welcomed into the Mormon world. They find themselves feeling a bit of culture shock, and aren't quite certain how to deal with it. In 1999, President Gordon B. Hinckley spoke directly on this topic, and addressed three needs new members must have fulfilled to ensure acceptance and long-lasting conversion. These "Three Needs of a New Member" are what I am talking about today.

**1\. A Friend**

The first need addressed is the need for a friend. President Hinckley's image of what this friend should be like was stated as being thus—"a friend in the Church to whom he can constantly turn, who will walk beside him, who will answer his questions, who will understand his problems." If we are using the "Alma-and-Amulek Theory" in our teaching of investigators, then members should already be forming friendships with these investigators-soon-to-be-recent converts. We need to keep those friendships strong even after baptism, however, so that our new members won't find themselves lost later on in their journeys.

My mom had such a friend. Shauna, who I mentioned in the story, is still one of my mom's most near and dear friends. They talk to each other often—over Facebook and texts—and have helped each other through the spiritual hurdles in their lives. It was because of the friendship my mom formed with Shauna that made her confident in the belief that the Church was where her family needed to be raised. And because of the friendship they formed, they've been able to strengthen each other's confidence in the Gospel, and keep each other firm in the Church.

**2\. An Assignment**

The second need that President Hinckley spoke of is the need for an assignment. "Activity is the genius of this Church," he said, "It is the process by which we grow." If we do not give our new members assignments in the Church, showing that we trust them, then these new members will feel unwelcome or unaccepted in our meeting houses. And, though we do not mean it at all, we will end up driving our brothers and sisters away from the very organization we wish them to be a part of. But if we give them an assignment, even if we feel they are still too young and inexperienced Church-wise for it, then they will grow stronger and more firm in their belief.

For this, I'd like to look toward my grandpa, Lou Sansevero. For as long as I can remember, he has served somewhere in the leadership of the Ward he attends. I have known him to be Ward Clerk a number of times, and—though my memory is fuzzy—he has even served as a counselor in his Ward's Bishopric. Even though he hadn't been a member all his life, his Bishop trusted him enough to give him those callings. And the Ward trusted him enough to sustain him as such as well. The result? He is truly stalwart and steadfast in the Church, with a testimony that shines bright and true.

**3\. Spiritual Nourishment**

The last need that President Hinckley spoke of is the need for spiritual nourishment. We can't pretend that every new member that joins the Church has learned everything they need to learn and can stop learning. Every member of this Church, whether they be as young as a Sunbeam or as experienced as the Prophet of the Lord, needs to continue to learn and to grow. And, as long as they continue to learn and grow, their faith and trust in the Church grows as well, and they become fully converted unto Christ.

I'd like to look to my dad as an example of this in work. Growing up, I always saw my dad as being a very learned and wise man. As I've grown older, I've realized that he, too, had to learn and grow, just as I am still learning and growing now, though it has done little to minimize the legend I see him to be. However, as I said, he needed to grow as well. When he was given the calling of Seminary teacher, he was about as inexperienced in the Gospel as the teenagers he was teaching. However, that could easily be the very reason as to why he had the calling. As he taught the young men and women in his classes, he himself gained further understanding of the Gospel.

So it has been in every calling my dad has taken, be it a Young-Men's Teacher, or a Cub Scout Master. He has always been learning and growing. And me, and my siblings, have had the happy experience of growing with him. Through Family Home Evenings, listening to his testimony, or just seeing his example, me and my sisters have become firmly planted in this Church's soil, and served faithfully in every calling and seat we've been given by the Lord. In fact, if my Dad hadn't been so firm in learning the Gospel and helping others to learn the Gospel, I probably wouldn't have been as firm in my conviction to serve a full-time mission for the Church—the mission I am currently serving in.

These are the "Three Needs of a New Member". We, as members of this Church, can play a crucial role in fulfilling these needs. We must be friends to those that are friendless, and support them through the trials they have as new members. We must sustain our new brothers and sisters in their callings, and—again—be there for them when they need help or support. And we need to be active in teaching and nourishing each other, in helping each other to thrive in the soil of the Gospel, and this Church. If we can do this more actively, we can have more families like mine—families so firmly planted in the Gospel soil that nothing short of the absolute force of the Devil himself can force them to move. I pray that we can be able to be the friends, supports, and teachers our brothers and sisters need.

In the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, Amen.


	30. February 17-23

Hey everyone, it's-a me, Elder Weber, once again sending out a quick newsletter about how the work in Kimball, Nebraska is going for me and my companion, Elder Tapia. This week has been fairly normal for us missionaries (definitely more-so than the goat-butchering last week). We've gotten through our transfers, met the new Sidney Missionaries, and basically had yet another all right week. Though I don't have anything totally hilarious to talk about this week (or totally disturbing, as I already stated with the goat-butchering), I can honestly say that this week has been truly phenomenal, and a real testimony-builder. So, without further ado...here we go!

My week started out on Wednesday of last week with me and Elder Tapia going through our normal routine of going to the Recycle Center, working on the recyclables piled up in there, and then returning home for lunch and studies. After a while, we headed out into town, hoping to find some work to be done. After walking for about an hour or so, and with the sun starting to set, we headed back home so we could grab the car, drive over to Sidney, and meet with the Ward Mission Leader for our weekly Ward Mission Correlation Meeting. While there, we had the happy occasion of meeting the new Sidney Missionaries-Elder Ascheris and Elder Jackson. Elder Ascheris (Uh-**share**-is) is a tall, rather slender young man who just radiates with the desire to do the Lord's work, while Elder Jackson is his new greenie companion from Canada. The two are very excited to be working in Sidney, as Brother Christian, the Ward Mission Leader, was able to state as such-"Those two have quite the fire, don't they?...Let's see what we can do to damper it a bit."

Thursday found Elder Tapia and I hitching a ride to Zone Meeting in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with Elders Ascheris and Jackson. The Zone had changed a _lot_ from the last time I saw it. The original group from last Transfer had two of the Elders from my MTC group in it-Elder Dixon, who is destined to be the first Southern-Accent Apostle, and Elder Pratt, whose spirit speaks louder than his words. Both of them ended up getting Transferred-Dixon to Laramie, and Pratt to Fort Collins, training his own greenie. Not only that, but we lost one of our Zone Leaders, and in place of him, we got Elder Greer, who had been my Zone Leader in Loveland for two transfers. I have to admit, I was a bit intimidated by Elder Greer coming to the Cheyenne East Zone. He had a lot of programs set up as a Zone Leader in Loveland that many of us Elders were highly against. But after hearing him talk in the meeting, and talking with him one-on-one afterwords, I can honestly say that I am very glad to have Elder Greer with us out here in Banishment.

Thursday was followed by Friday, which started yet again with the usual tasks at the Recycle Center. This time, however, Spud Rowley, the manager of the Center, came to us afterwords and asked us to come with him for a lunch over in Potter. Sort of a treat for working so hard as volunteers at the Center. It was nice, being able to sit down and enjoy a nice, home-style cafe meal with him, his wife, and his own dad, and both I and Elder Tapia thanked him repeatedly for the kindness. However, that wasn't the highlight of the day. _That_ came that afternoon, when we were in our lesson with Brian, our investigator. After we both shared our parts of the message (Blessings of Baptism and Confirmation of the Holy Ghost), we decided to ask him, really ask him, if he desired to be baptized. AND HE ACCEPTED! We're going to be praying with him, in our companionship, and as our own separate individuals, to find out what day the Lord wants him to be baptized on, and he's going to keep coming to Church, feeling the spirit, and growing his testimony!

So, yeah, this week was awesome! So, what spiritual message do I have to share with y'all this week? The message I'd like to leave you with is about perhaps one of the most simple, yet amazing, parts of the Gospel-Prayer.

Prayer is the process by which we are able to speak with our Heavenly Father. There aren't any restrictions on when we should pray, or where, or what about. And as long as we are praying with a desire to know truth and right, and are willing to act on whatever answer we are given, we will _always_ receive an answer from God. Stop and think of that for a moment. God, the Master of the Universe, He who created everything from the Sun that gives our planet warmth and life, to that pesky mosquito that bugs you during those hot July days-He has given us a way that we are able to communicate with Him and tell Him what we are struggling with and what we are thankful for, _and He'll answer us! _Not only that, but He _wants_ us to speak to Him. He wants us to involve Him in every facet of our lives-not just Church, but in our businesses, in our families, in our studies, in every part of our lives. If I can think of one gift God has given us that has is most influential and powerful, it would have to be prayer. Prayer is the way by which we not only come to know what our Heavenly Father's will is, but also by how we are able to discover what our relationship with Heavenly Father is, and help it grow.

I know this to be true. I have seen prayer bless me in a multitude of ways on my mission. Whether I'm asking for help in dealing with a companion, pleading Him to help an investigator that is struggling in his life, or just reaffirming my relationship with Him, prayer has always played a vital role. I know that God gave us prayer so that we can communicate with Him, and help us come unto Him. I know that He has done this because He loves us, and wants to help us in our lives. I pray that we will all make as great a use of this power as possible, in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Well, that's all I have to say for this week. Hope to catch y'all again next P-Day!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	31. February 24-March2

Hello everyone! This is your favorite Mormon Missionary from South Jordan, Utah, serving in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission-Elder Z. ! Once more, I am sending out a newsletter to all my friends, family, and wild admirers (if I have any) that want to know what's been going down in that small corner of the garden my Heavenly Father entrusted me with, Kimball, Nebraska. Before I get in on that, though, I'd like to make an announcement. Today, March 2nd, marks the end of my sixth month out on the mission! Amazing how fast time flies, right? Already, a quarter of my mission-life has come and gone, and it's amazing just how wonderful it's been. I've truly loved my mission, and am really looking forward to the coming three-quarters that are just around the corner!

Now then, on to this last week. To start off, I'd like to go back to Wednesday of last week. As usual, Elder Tapia and I started off our day with a few hours of service over at the Recycling Center, and then we went about our business as Missionaries as usual. That day, however, we found it fairly difficult to do work, due to how crazy the weather was. Now, I know, the weather is crazy wherever you are. In fact, back in my home state of Utah, the saying is that "if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes." But, seriously, I swear I saw all four seasons pass by in the space of _maybe_ three hours! Rain, snow, sunshine, clouds-you name it, we had it that day. Still, we were able to get a fair amount of work done, and meet more of the less-active members that live in our area. Hopefully, we'll be able to meet with them more often, as chance permits it.

Thursday was another interesting day. Earlier in the week, we had had some problem with our Subaru...we got a crack in the windshield. This wasn't any little crack, either. This crack was probably about five feet long, and went from one side of the window to the other. Now, it wasn't bad enough that we couldn't drive anywhere (at least that's what Elder Tapia told me), but it still needed to be fixed. So, we called up the nearest window-replacement shop (which was about forty miles away) and set up an appointment. Well, the guy that was going to replace our window came over, checked it out, and then said that due to the snow, the wind, and the cold, he couldn't fix our window and feel good about us driving away safely afterwords. So, we just rescheduled another appointment for this week, and prayed that things would go over better than they had Thursday.

Though we faced problems on Thursday, Friday was much more wonderful and amazing, and easily made up for the problems from the last few days. As y'all probably remember from my last few emails, we've had an investigator we've been working on named Brian McKay. Well, two weeks ago, we committed him to baptism, and asked him to pray and ponder over a date in the coming weeks that he would feel was the best date for him to be baptized on. So, Friday, before we taught him again, we prayed one last time, together and separately, that we'd know what day to ask Brian to be baptized. And, after praying, we both felt inspired to ask him if March 14th would be a day that he could be baptized on. He said that he'd think about it, but seemed very positive and excited about the possibility of getting baptized very soon. Being there, saying that, and feeling the Spirit so strongly...oh, how I wish my mission could just be filled to the brim with moments like that!

So, once again, I'm happy to declare that this week has been amazing. And, with that, I'd like to share a quick spiritual thought with all y'all. It's something that I've been pondering over a lot recently, and I feel it's something we all can gain something from.

There's a certain scripture in Mosiah, from the Book of Mormon, that reads as such; "**And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on ****_the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God_****. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.** (Mosiah 2:41)"

What I'd like to focus on is that statement near the beginning of the scripture,"the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God". As followers of Christ, we all realize that in order to receive Salvation, or Eternal life, or Exaltation, or the Highest Degree of Glory, or call it what you will, we have to keep the commandments of God. However, do we ever stop and think about the joy that keeping the commandments brings? Too often, I feel, we see the commandments as restrictions that keep us from enjoying the "finer" things of mortality. "Because of the Word of Wisdom, I can't have alcohol." "Because of the Law of the Sabbath, I can't hang out with my friends on Sundays." "Because of the Law of Tithing, I have to give up 10% of my income for the Church." These complaints, as well as all others, are a very narrow-minded way at looking at the commandments of God.

Let's take a step back. God is our _loving_ Heavenly Father. Therefore, whatever He tells us to do must therefore be good for us. Whatever is good is of God, and whatever is evil is of the Devil. Therefore, we can't have a commandment that is bad. But more than that, because our Heavenly Father loves us, He'll make the commandments things that can give us joy. The worst thing a parent can ever see is a child who is in misery. I can't say that from experience, but from the opposite end of the spectrum-being the child that was in distress, and seeing my parents' reactions. Therefore, all commandments given to us, God's children, must not only be for our benefit, but must also give us joy. So, the secret to a happy life, and a happy eternal life, is to keep the commandments of God. They will give us more joy than we could ever find in breaking them, I know that with utmost surety.

This I say in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	32. March 3-9

Hey there everyone! It's Elder Z. , here again with an email on what's up and going on with me and my companion, Elder Tapia, on our missions. Things have been going fairly well for the two of us here in Kimball...or at least as well as things can go when you're out in the "banishment". We met with the Senior Couple that had been serving in Kimball before us this Thursday, and they said something that I found to be very true and interesting. Those who serve in Kimball are the most alone missionaries in the Mission. At first, I didn't believe it, but then I stopped and thought about it. Kimball doesn't have a Ward, has only a few members in it, and is forty miles from any of the nearest cities that have both a Ward _and_ Missionaries. So, in all actuality, Kimball _is_ the loneliest area in the mission. So, what do you do when you're all alone?

Surprisingly, a lot.

Last Wednesday found Elder Tapia and I giving aid to the young men from the Sidney Ward as they worked over a major service project in Kimball. Apparently, the Kimball Historical Society (didn't even know those things actually existed!) want to take the old high school building they have on the main road and turn it into a museum of Kimball in its glory days. So, what we were doing was helping them tear out the carpet they had in this one section of the building and sweep up all the dust and rubble they'd built up by tearing through one of the walls. The air was so thick with the dust that even to today I am still sneezing up dirt clods! However, it was still a really awesome experience, and they had so many cool things in there to look at, like an old printing press, an original type-writer, and even an old-style automatic calculator that was about as big and as heavy as a bowling ball. Looking at all of that made me _very_ glad I live in the 21st century!

Thursday was also a really interesting day, as we got to travel to and from Sidney and Kimball twice, rather than the usual once. We went to Sidney because we had our District Meeting there, and we had a great time talking about how to implement our scriptures into our teaching. Afterwords, we had to book it back over to Kimball because we had called up the windshield-repair guy (yes, he _still_ hadn't made it to our place to fix the window) and had managed to squeeze an appointment in for right after our District Meeting. We were just starting to roll into our driveway when we got a call. The guy was sick as a dog, and couldn't come to fix the window! So, we have to reschedule our appointment for later in the coming week. So, mildly annoyed, we drove off to Sidney, where we were having dinner with the Jones', and really just enjoyed the rest of the night by talking with the Jones' and sharing spiritual messages that we found very fun.

Friday was the real pinnacle moment of the week, however. At around 4:30, we got to meet with Brian McKay again, and talk over baptism with him. As you all probably already know, we have been trying to get him ready for baptism by March 14th. Well, after talking with him and seeing how he feels, we all agreed that he would be baptized on the 14th! It was great, and we were really excited. Afterwords, we decided to have a mock-up baptismal interview with him, just to make certain he understood everything correctly and was ready for the questions asked. Things went well, and I felt that he was all set and ready to go. However, when we mentioned his responses to our Zone Leaders, they seemed a bit hesitant. Finally, we found out that our Mission President, President Brown, would have to come an interview him, so we had to push the date back to the 21st. However, I have no doubts in my mind that it will go great, and that on March 21st, we will have a new member in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!

Well, that's my week! So, what do I have to talk about this week? The answer is simple-Scriptures.

Back before my mission, I used to watch this youtube channel that was basically a cyber nerd giving advice and counsel to other cyber nerds, and one time he did a video about what he called an "Existential Crisis", which was basically whenever he stopped and thought about such fun topics as; the inevitability of death, the crushing fact that all humans will ultimately end up alone, and the meaning of life. I remember watching these, and I couldn't help laughing. Not because he was funny in how he portrayed these problems (which he seriously was, by the way) but by how completely clueless and unaware that he was of the truth. His answer to these questions was that we as humans can never know the answer, and therefore shouldn't worry about it or about our lives. The truth, however, is not only that we know the answers to these questions, but these answers have been around since the time of Adam and Eve.

If one wants to learn about the answers to these questions, all they have to do is turn to the scriptures. The scriptures have always had the knowledge of these questions and more hidden within their pages. All the prophets, whether they were Adam, Enoch, Noah, or even our modern prophet Thomas S. Monson, have had these truths revealed to them, and they have preached and teached these truths to their brothers and sisters on the earth. So, if you find yourself questioning the worth of your soul, or wondering about the meaning of life and the universe, or just want to know what God has in store for you, my advice is simple. Read the Scriptures. Read them, for in them you will find the words of Christ, "for behold, the words of Christ will reveal the truth of all things unto you."

I bear my testimony that I know this to be true, that the Scriptures, whether they be The Old and New Testaments, The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, The Pearl of Great Price, or even the words of the modern prophets will reveal the truth of God's knowledge unto us. We can know the truth of these things for ourselves, if we read the words, and look to our Heavenly Father for an answer. This I bear my testimony of, in the name of His Son, even our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	33. March 10-16

Hey there, everyone! It's me again, Elder Z. , with a big announcement from the small town of Kimball, Nebraska. Brian McKay, grand-nephew of President David O. McKay, is getting baptized this Saturday, March 21st, at 2:00 in the afternoon! Elder Tapia and I are really excited, as is Brian himself and much of his family. The times we've talked with him and learned from him, we've found that he truly has been preparing for this moment all his life. I'm very glad that I had this awesome opportunity to help him find the true, restored gospel, and lead him back to his Father in Heaven, who truly does love him, and wants him back so very desperately. I know this, because I have felt it. Whenever we taught Brian, and the Spirit came, it was just like a wall, it hit us all so hard. If I gained nothing else from teaching Brian, it's that Heavenly Father loves all of His children, and so desperately, desperately wants them to return to him again!

So, with that exciting announcement out of the way, let's move on with the rest of the week. Like I've said before, things have been really good for Elder Tapia and me here in Kimball, but things are looking to be even better now than before. Last Wednesday, Elder Tapia and I drove down to the Laramie Stake Center (geeze that's a long drive!) for a Zone Conference with all of the 'Banishment' zones. Strange and awesome things started right then, as both Elder Tapia and I saw _two_ falling stars, one of which was burning up so bad, we could see the fiery-red tail burning behind it for at least half a minute. Then, when we got to the Zone Conference and got everyone settled down, we had two shocking revelations told to us by President Brown. First, we now will definitely be getting iPads for our mission, and Second, we will be one of the first missions using the new video initiative, "#BecauseHeLives".

I'm still very skeptical about the whole iPad thing, seeing as we've heard rumors about getting iPads for about two years in this mission. But the #BecauseHeLives thing is real, and it's awesome. In the Social Media area of our Church, recently there have been some videos released specifically about the Savior, Jesus Christ, and how much he does for us. These videos are called "Because of Him", which is a much more general video, and "He Is The Gift", which is a video about Christ's birth and purpose in life. Well, "Because He Lives" is a new video that's coming out on March 28th, and it's mainly about the Savior, his death, and his Resurrection. Like the other videos, it is unbelievably powerful, so don't be surprised while watching it if you suddenly end up breaking into tears. It happened to me many times with the other two videos, and it happened with this one as well.

So, after receiving the initiative and returning home with our pass-along cards that are for #BecauseHeLives, Elder Tapia and I sat down and seriously thought over how we would put these cards to best use. Well, Thursday gave me an opportunity to test these thoughts and plans out. As you all probably remember from my past emails, our Subaru had a huge cracked windshield for a while now, and have had some trouble getting it fixed. On Thursday, in the morning, we finally got someone to come out and take care of it for us. While he was fixing it, we had an interesting discussion with him about our Missions, which weaved in and out of our religion. As we were talking, I had the distinct impression to give him one of the #BecauseHeLives pass-along cards we had. I was a little nervous, but once the job on the windshield was done I was able to bolster my courage and hand him the card, which he accepted in a very pleasant and thankful manner.

And thus, the #BecauseHeLives initiative had begun!

The rest of the week passed on with ease for me and my companion, as we tried using #BecauseHeLives more often throughout our activities in our area. We really feel that this new initiative will really be awesome and successful for us here. If you want to jump on board with this, by the way, you can head over to **HeLives . lds . org**, the new site that the video will be shown on. There, you can enter your email so you can receive updates on the initiative and learn more about Christ and his purpose in our lives. You will also be able to find the video on Youtube after March 28th-in fact, during the Easter Weekend, Youtube's homepage will be dominated by ads and videos from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I highly encourage you all to watch enjoy these videos. Though they're just a few minutes long, watching them could very well change your entire life.

Well, that's all I have to offer today! Hope to hear from y'all next week, and have an awesome day!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	34. March 17-23

Hey everybody, it's-a me again! Elder Z. is back, with an update on how life as a Missionary in Kimball, Nebraska has been treating both me and my companion, Elder Tapia. Before I get to that, however, I realized this last week that when I posted the link for the **#BecauseHeLives** website, I accidentally used the wrong link. So, if you tried to find the site, and Mr. Google came back to you and said, "Sorry, this site doesn't exist," well, that'd be the reason why. So, just so no one ends up making that mistake again, I'm here to fix my small error from last week. The website for **#BecauseHeLives** is actually on **HeLives . mormon . org**, so it's through **mormon . org**, and not **lds . org**. So, if you go _there_, you should be able to sign up for reminders about **#BecauseHeLives**, and be prepared for when the video goes global this next Saturday, on March 28th.

Now, onto this week...sadly, I don't really have much that I can say for this week. Don't get me wrong, this week was awesome, just as all weeks as a missionary are, and it also had some rougher patches, as all weeks as a missionary do. But to be honest, I didn't pay much attention to any of those points in the week. I mean, really, the whole week, from Monday afternoon when I finished emailing y'all, to Friday evening when I was waiting to fall asleep-it all passed in a frenzied blur. Why? Because both I and my companion had only one thought on our minds-Bryan McKay's Baptism.

Yep, it's official. At two-o'clock on Saturday, March 21st, our friend and Spiritual Brother, Bryan McKay, was finally baptized and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The whole week leading up to the baptism, Elder Tapia and I were rushing about, trying to get people ready and assigned for different parts in the service's program. We needed to know who could play the piano, what songs to be sung, who was willing to say a prayer and who was willing to give the baptismal talks for Bryan. In the end, though, it all worked out great. We even had more people at the baptism than we'd been expecting, with about twenty-or-so members coming with their families, eager to see their newest member and Brother baptized. Bryan's son Morgan even came, which took me and Elder Tapia by surprise, but we were both very glad to see him there.

Elder Beste and Sister Beste, the Senior Missionary Couple that had met Bryan, friendshipped him, and taught him all of the lessons, came up so that Elder Beste could baptize Bryan and confirm him a member the next day during Sacrament Meeting on Sunday. It was truly awesome, to feel the Holy Ghost just filling the room as Bryan was brought down into the baptismal font, was fully immersed in the water, and brought back up as clean and as pure as the day he was born. Sister Beste gave a beautiful talk on the importance of the Gift of the Holy Ghost after Bryan had been baptized, and as she spoke, the Spirit in that room just continued to grow and bloom, it was almost hard to breathe sometimes. I know, now more than ever before, that our Heavenly Father is truly proud of the steps that Bryan has taken to return to Him, and proud of Elder and Sister Beste, Elder Tapia and myself in helping Bryan return.

So, today I want to have my spiritual message centered on Baptism. Back in the New Testament, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was asked by the Pharisee Nicodemus how one can return to God. Jesus's response is said as thus; "**Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.**" Seeing that Nicodemus was confused by his response, Jesus says, "**Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.**" (John 3:3,5) There are several different ordinances or requirements that we need to have in order for us to be able to return to our Heavenly Father and live with Him again. These ordinances are like gates, each one leading to another. The first of these gates is the gate of Baptism-to be born again.

In baptism, the body of the person being baptized is dunked completely under the water and brought back up again. This is done to resemble two things; first, the 'burying' of our old, sinful life and letting it die; and, second, the 'birth' of our new, pure life-one in which we are made Children of God once more. However, when Christ spoke to Nicodemus, he didn't just say that a rebirth by water was the only step we need to take. The confirmation, where the Gift of the Holy Ghost is given, is just as important, if not more so, than the actual baptism itself. With the baptism, we are cleansed from sin and given a new, fresh start to travel to the next gate on our journey back to Heavenly Father. But we didn't get to the gate of baptism without someone helping us. We can't always have someone there to help us find or reach the next gate on our journey. That's why we have the Gift of the Holy Ghost, so that as long as we are following God's commandments and living as He would have us live, we can have the companionship of the Holy Ghost, to lead and guide us on the rest of our journey to our Heavenly Father.

I bear my personal testimony that I know of the importance of both the Baptism of Water, and the Baptism of Fire, or the Gift of the Holy Ghost. There is, as Nephi of old so eloquently stated, "**none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God**." (2 Nephi 31:21) This is the only way back to our Heavenly Father, and it's only just the first step. It's a long journey, filled with ups, downs, and crazy in-betweens. But I know that our Heavenly Father has given us the tools to make it through. There is nothing in this world that we are going through now that cannot be overcome when we work in unity with our Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and our ever-vigilant companion the Holy Ghost. It won't be easy, that's for certain. But nothing that is truly worth it ever is. This I bear testimony of, as a representative of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Well, that's it for me. Hope y'all have a great week, and hope to hear from y'all again next P-Day!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	35. March 24-30

Hey everyone! Elder Z. is here again with an awesome update on how things in the mission are going for me and my companion, Elder Tapia. I'm happy to say that things have been going very well for us. I feel that this week was a lot of fun, filled with moments of excitement and exhilaration, thanks to the Spirit. We spent a couple days helping one of the families in Kimball get their house ready for a big move later on in that week. We were able to teach all the young men and women in the Ward and help them realize what potential they have with the new video **#BecauseHeLives** on the Church's website. And, we were even able to help our Zone Leaders change a blown-up tire they got on their truck just as they were leaving the freeway to get to our District Meeting this week. So, all in all, it was a really awesome and eventful week.

But that's not what I'm here to talk about.

As you all pretty much already should know, due to my emails home, every six weeks we have Transfers. Well, last Transfer was six weeks ago, and tomorrow is my next one-my sixth Transfer on my mission. To be completely honest, I had no idea what was going to happen with this Transfer. I felt that I'd done some good serving in Kimball with Elder Tapia, but I also felt that there might be more that I could do to help my brothers and sisters there. However, I also had a feeling that I had done all that I needed to do as a Missionary there, and that my Heavenly Father needed me to work somewhere else in His garden. So, when Saturday rolled around, I and Elder Tapia were pretty anxious to hear what was going to be happening to us. And what ended up happening...definitely wasn't what I'd been expecting at all.

Elder Tapia is going to be staying in Kimball...and I'm coming home seventeen months early.

...

...April Fools! Though, I actually am leaving Kimball. Starting Tuesday evening, I will be serving in the Boulder Zone, the very southern zone in the Mission, with one Elder Buchanan in the Cold Creek Ward. So, technically I _am_ coming home...back to Colorado, my first state in my Mission! I'm really looking forward to serving there, and meeting more of my brothers and sisters. I'm going to miss Elder Tapia, and my siblings here in Kimball and Sidney, but it's time to move on. Wish me luck in my new area!

Hope to hear from y'all next week!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	36. March 31-April 6

Hey there, friends, family, and otherwise affiliated acquaintances. It's me once more, Elder Z. S. Weber, sending out yet another weekly newsletter detailing the amazing and wonderful life I am living as a Missionary in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. As I mentioned in my last email out, this last week I was transferred to the Boulder Zone in the Mission, and am currently serving in the Coal Creek Ward with my friend and brother, Elder Buchanan. So far, my life in this area has been truly awesome. Elder Buchanan is a great missionary with a kind heart who loves to do his Father's work, though he also enjoys the very few times we missionaries get to just kick back, relax, and unwind from the pressure and insanity of being Missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He understands the gospel very well, and has a very great sense of humor and responsibility when serving his brothers and sisters in this Ward. I'm really excited to work with him, and help our Spiritual Siblings return to their Father above. With that said, let's begin with the week.

Tuesday last week was spent the usual Transfer-day way; running around like headless chickens trying to get everything sorted out. Most of the time was spent getting to our area, getting my stuff unloaded, and then showing me around the area. Wednesday, however, the pace quickly changed, and Elder Buchanan and I took to the work, hitting the ground running. We spend the week hard at work, helping me get adjusted to the area as well as possible, and seeking out the less-active and former investigators that live in our proselyting area. We have made it our serious goal to try and find one of our brothers or sisters that is willing to learn of the gospel, and help them enter into the waters of baptism by the end of the month. In the last few days, I definitely feel that the Lord has been aiding us in that area, by bringing us to families that are _very_ missionary-minded and seek to help their friends come unto Christ. Not only that, but on Friday we actually had a family feed us dinner that said that their friend was recently asking serious questions about religion and God. It was as if the Lord was just hanging a giant neon sign over this member's head that read "_Here's Your Chance Elders!_"

The week hasn't just been about work, though. On Tuesday, I got to meet the other set of Elders that will be serving in our neighboring area, the Laffeyette Elders. These guys are Elders Stone and Fuhriman (**Fur-man**), and they are really awesome. Every other morning, when Elder Buchanan and I are getting up, we head over to the Stake Building and get warmed up for the day ahead by playing a fun game of two-on-two basketball with them. Normally, I don't really like playing any sports of any kind, but I decided that it'd be some fun. Besides, for the first time ever, this group of Elders is all about my size, so I think I might be able to take them...some time...maybe...Anyways, it's really been awesome to get to know these guys and I'm really looking forward to the Transfer ahead with them. Another awesome thing from this week is that I got another package from my family back home. But what was really awesome was that the very same day I got my Easter Package, Elder Buchanan got his Easter Package from his family as well. So, that was really cool, too!

Perhaps the greatest part of this week, however, was when we were able to spend ten hours of our week listening to General Conference. I've always looked forward to hearing the words of the prophets and learning from them, and this weekend was no exception. We mostly watched it from the Stake Center with the other missionaries in the area, though we did spend the afternoon session on Saturday at a member's house. This year's Conference was really amazing for me to listen to. So many of the talks were given on the importance of the Family, and the proper structure of families, and the importance of the role of the father in families. I found it interesting that so many would center their focus on those key parts of the gospel, and seek to help us understand the importance of our roles in this life. Elder Buchanan and I also joked a bit about how often the talks, when directed to young adults, mentioned getting married and starting families without too much delay-something other Elders in our Mission seem to dread with undeniable passion.

However, what I really want to focus my spiritual message on today lies not with families, or fathers, or the three temples announced by President Monson. My message today is about the simple truth that so many today do not know. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints _is_ led by a true living prophet, who is called of God by prophecy and holds all of the keys and powers of Heaven necessary to run and lead the Church in this day and age. So many people do not believe this sacred truth to be real. They do not understand that the President of the Church, as well as his Councilors and Fellow Apostles are prophets, seers, and revelators. But I bear my witness now that they are exactly that. Since the days of old, since the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Lord God Almighty has always had His people led by the humble yet powerful example of the prophets. As Amos of old taught, "**Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.**" I bear my witness that this is true, and that today the Church is once again led by prophets. The prophets returned in 1820, when a young boy by the name of Joseph went into a silent grove to learn of God's will, and has continued to this day, with the current-day prophet, Thomas S. Monson. I know this to be true, in the name of our Lord and Savior, even Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	37. April 7-13

Hey there friends, family, and ever-adoring fans! It's your favorite Elder from the Colorado Fort Collins Mission, Elder Z. S. Weber, bringing you yet another exciting update on life in the crazy world of Colorado. First off, last time I told you about how I've been transferred to the Boulder Zone, and have already had some interesting experiences with my new companion, Elder Buchanan. Well, let me assure you that all's still going good out here. Elder Buchanan is a great companion, and with the other Elders around, we've had a lot of fun this last week. From tracting until our feet are raw and our knuckles bleed, to just chilling out at one of our apartments and playing an exciting game of **Munchkin: Adventure Time Version**, this week has been entertaining, enlightening, and truly enjoyable. So, without further ado, let's go!

**Tuesday:** Tuesday was a really awesome day, because we had our Zone Meeting, and I got to finally meet all of the members of our Zone. Much to my surprise, Elder Pratt, who was from my MTC group (**District 43-Best, represent!**), is now my Zone Leader. Only one thought crosses my mind at that; how the heck did he rank-up so fast?! But, joking aside, Elder Pratt is a really great Zone Leader, and a great teacher, and I'm glad to have him as one of the leaders in the Boulder Zone. Also during the Meeting, we (the Zone) were asked to divide up and practice teaching on of our Investigators by doing a role-play with another companionship in the Zone. Elder Buchanan and I taught the AP's, and while teaching them, I felt inspired to ask a very simple, but very deep, question. When the "Investigator" answered, both Elder Buchanan and I felt the Spirit come at us like a brick wall, and we knew that we'd just received revelation for how to address our Investigator's doubts and worries. So, all in all, it was a totally awesome day!

**Wednesday:** Wednesday was a fairly slow day for Elder Buchanan and I, after we'd gone out and done some service and finished our studies. So, with a whole day of nothing to do, we decided to hop into the car and head out, seeking out some of the less-active members in our Ward. We did that up until dinner, and then after dinner we headed out to the neighboring streets and tried out tracting, using what we had learned from our Zone Meeting on Tuesday and from our studies that morning. Surprisingly, we had a lot of fun. Whenever I think of tracting, I always think of the negative points-walking for long hours, doors getting slammed in face-but I actually enjoyed the tracting this time. Maybe it was because we were laughing at ourselves, and just having fun with it all. Best of all, though, was the spiritual moment I had during the evening.

When it came time to close the day up, I decided I wanted to tract one more door, but that Elder Buchanan couldn't help me. When I chose the door, the woman who answered it was severely combative, and just wouldn't listen. I felt that I should say something in defense, point out her aggression, or do something. But instead, I calmly listened to her complaints, bore simple testimony that what we had to tell her was true and could bless her in her life, and invited her to listen. When she again told us to leave, we did. At first, I felt that I could've done better somewhere, or that I had failed. But as Elder Buchanan comforted me, and praised me for my boldness and courage to speak, I felt the Spirit of my Heavenly Father overwhelm me with a feeling of pride and honor. I hadn't managed to teach the woman at the door, but I was able to fulfill the duty my Father had given me, and managed to walk out of it all with my head and heart still held high with joy.

**Thursday:** Thursday, Elder Buchanan and I decided to head out and look up the potential investigators in our area. We want to add to the Mission's goal of having 50 Baptisms in one Transfer, and if we want to do that, then we're going to need a lot more Investigators. One that we visited was a man named Lee Neils. Apparently, Missionaries had been going to his house a lot over the years, just to hang out, watch sports games, and just be lazy. We decided we'd show Lee a different side of Missionaries (the better side), and taught him about Joseph Smith. We showed him the video, "**The Restoration**", and as we watched the scene with Joseph in the Grove, we all felt the Spirit so strongly. After the video was done, Elder Buchanan invited Lee to pray that night if Joseph Smith really was a Prophet, and he accepted. We hope to hear from him again sometime this week!

**Friday/Saturday:** Friday and Saturday sort of ran together into one, with us going off on Exchanges. Elder Fuhriman and I worked in my area (the Coal Creek Ward) from Friday evening to Saturday evening, and Elder Buchanan went to work with Elder Stone in the Lafayette Ward. Seeing as I was the Elder in his area, I decided Elder Fuhriman and I go out and do some service at one of the thrift stores in town, and then head off to the work areas in the Ward and see what we could do. It was hard, especially in teaching, with our teaching-personalities clashing every once in a while. But for the most part, the exchange went well, with Saturday evening ending with a rousing game of **Munchkin: Adventure Time Version**, which I lost...badly...

So, that's my week! As I said before, it was great, and very spiritual. And speaking of spiritual, it's time for the Spiritual Thought! This week's theme: The Holy Ghost.

Over the past week, Elder Buchanan and I have spent most of our mornings studying Chapter 4 of **Preach My Gospel**, which is all about recognizing and working with the Holy Ghost. While I'd like to say otherwise, I'm a bit embarrassed to say that, though I'm great at teaching with the Spirit, I have a pretty lousy time at actually recognizing the promptings of the Spirit and consciously acting on them. So, this past week I worked hard to feel the Spirit more, and recognize it in my life. And what I found was truly awesome. The Spirit of God has been at my side at all times this week, upholding me, uplifting me, and guiding me where I needed to go. I told you about the tracting experience I had this week, right? Well, I definitely felt the Spirit prompt me to go to that door. I felt the Spirit aid me in speaking with my sister, who would not listen. And as I walked away, the Spirit comforted me, and gave me the strength to walk away from that door with my head held high.

I know that the Spirit is a real, true being. He is the Spirit of my Heavenly Father, my God, and it is his mission to teach, guide, and comfort me through the trials of my life. It is the mission he has in all of our lives, and so long as we do all that is in our power, and follow the commandments of God, he is certain to lead us onward. We may face trouble, we may face hardships. I know that I have. But because of the Spirit, who can be our everlasting companion in this life, we can face those hardships with confidence, and walk on, even with broken hearts and bruised Spirits, with our heads held high, and our joy full. I bear solemn testimony that this is true, in the name of our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	38. April 14-20

Hey everybody, how are y'all doing? It's just me again, Elder Z. S. Weber, sending out another quick (not) email-update on how my life as a Missionary is going. And I have to say that things are going good...but first, let's check out the weather for the last week. Starting late in the evening of Wednesday last week, the Boulder-area of the Colorado Fort Collins Mission got hit with a crazy series of storms that lasted up to about Saturday Morning. The storms varied largely from thick snowflakes to pea-sized hail, from slimy sleet and buffeting rain and wind. In spite of the harsh weather conditions, however, Missionaries from the Lafayette, Coal Creek, and other Wards in the area were able to brave the wind, sleet, snow, hail, and rain, and continue serving in their respected callings and duties. Now, the sun is back out again, and as long as the clouds remain on the horizon, it looks to be the start of a nice, clear week, one that we hope will lead to much success and growth. That's all for the weather today, and now back to our main subject for today.

Now then, my week started out with a very surprising change of pace last P-Day (Monday, in case you were wondering), when some of the other Elders in the Boulder Zone asked Elder Buchanan and me to join them on a "quick" hike up the mountains towards the west of us. We decided to go along, hoping we'd be able to get straight to our work again after the hike and get on with the schedule. Well, it turned out that the hike wasn't _quite_ as short as the other missionaries had suggested it to be, and we ended up climbing for about two hours. Now, I have to admit that it was a really fun activity, except for when we were getting back down and my legs were well past the point of feeling like jello. But because the hike took so long, we ended up getting home around five o'clock. Meaning that we had literally a half hour to get showered, dressed in proselyting clothes, and head out the door to drive to dinner. Through it all, we forgot that we hadn't gone to Walmart for groceries yet, so as soon as dinner's lesson was done, we booked it over to Walmart, grabbed what we'd need for the week, and just barely managed to make it back home in time for curfew.

At the moment, I didn't think too much about how the day had gone. It _was_ P-Day, after all, the one day in the week when us Missionaries are given a chance to relax for a bit and relieve ourselves from the stress of our work. But the next day, Tuesday, I was brought to a full realization of my mistake. You see, Tuesday was Interview Day, and I just happened to be the first person that day that President Brown got to interview. The more I talked about the schedule, the more frustrated and disappointed he became. Finally, I told him about how we had gone out in the evening the day before for groceries, because we hadn't had the time in the day to get them. I have never seen President Brown so upset before in my life. He made certain, in that moment, to chasten me as hard as possible and show me that what we had been doing, how frivolously viewing the schedule, was being harmful to us as missionaries. I left that interview room with my tail between my legs and my head bowed. But though I had felt slightly beat and depressed, I knew in my heart that President Brown's words weren't of anger, but of kindness. He wanted me to reach my full potential as a missionary, and with that in mind I vowed in my heart to work as hard as I could to being obedient this week.

This wasn't exactly the brightest idea I'd had, however. In order to follow the schedule with exactness, Elder Buchanan got me involved with an intense workout system for thirty minutes every morning, as the white handbook explains we should do. For the entire week, I could barely lift my arm to a perfect square-angle over my head without feeling my entire arm, chest, and back scream in pain from soreness. The soreness is gone (for now), and the exercise helped to wake us up every morning. The only down side was that by the end of the day, we were truly exhausted. Even with taking a twenty minute nap in-between tracting and lessons, we still were unable to keep ourselves from falling straight to sleep the moment we got ready for bed. However, in the end, it was all worth it. Though we haven't had an increase of success as missionaries yet, our desire has been noticed by the Ward, and we're receiving more referrals and contacts than ever before. We even may have an investigator who may be ready for baptism by the end of this transfer. So, things are definitely looking up for Elder Buchanan and I.

So, what message can I say today, to summarize my week? Simple; the importance of obedience. In Lehi's dream (found in 1st Nephi 8), Lehi sees a marvelous and beautiful tree, one whose fruit brings the eater eternal joy and happiness that fills their entire being to over-flowing. Keeping people away from the tree is a thick, black mist of darkness that is impossible to see through, even with the tree being so marvelous and bright as it is. The only way through the darkness and to the tree is an iron rod, guiding along a very, very, _very_ strait and narrow path. There are many different interpretations and explanations for this dream, and Nephi himself is given a very profound clarification from an Angel later on (found in 1st Nephi 11-14). But for now, I would like to liken this story to the importance of obeying the Lord with absolute exactness.

Imagine the tree in Lehi's dream is representative of blessings from God. These can be any kind of blessing, from Eternal Salvation to even just being able to make it through the month on a tight budget. In modern-times, the Lord has told us that "**There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated-And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.** (Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21)" In order for us to receive blessings in this life, we have to be obedient to the commandments God has given us already. Not only that, but we have to do so with the intent in our hearts to please and obey God. If we obey the commandments, but do not truly believe in them or desire to obey them in our hearts, then we are no better than those who do not obey. In fact, we're even worse, because we know what is true, yet even in seeing we are still blind. This is the lesson that President Brown was trying to teach me last Tuesday, and it is my hope and desire to learn it to the best of my abilities. I bear my testimony that I know that God does exist, and that He truly desires to bless us. But we must first be willing to submit to His will, obey His commandments with all our hearts, and humbly follow Him. This is bear sincere testimony of, in the name of our beloved Savior, even Jesus Christ, Amen.

Well, that's it for this week! Hope to hear from y'all again soon! Ciao!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	39. April 21-29

Hey everyone, sorry for the late update! It's me, Elder Z. S. Weber, signing in again to give you the amazing and awesome news from the Boulder Zone in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. And, let me just tell you that this week truly was awesome, and well worth the wait. You see, rather than spend our P-Day on Monday and send out our emails home then, like we normally would, Elder Buchanan and I felt prompted to move our P-Day over to today, Wednesday, so that we could get permission from President Brown to go down to Denver earlier today and spend our morning doing some work in the Denver Colorado Temple. And, oh my goodness, was it worth it! I have really missed being in the temple, being able to feel the presence of the Holy Ghost so tangible all around me, to know that what I am doing as a servant and missionary for our Lord Jesus Christ-there is just nothing like it in the world! And with all the other amazing and awesome moments that Elder Buchanan and I were able to have throughout the week, I can definitely say that this was a truly spectacular week, one of the best ones I've had on the mission by far! So, without further ado...here we go!

As you already know from my past emails, missionaries are expected to lend a certain amount of hours each week to community service, helping the community we all live in flourish and grow. Well, we were certainly able to devote a lot of hours this week, as Elder Buchanan, myself, and Elders Stone and Fuhriman were asked to help pull up thistles that covered the side yard of an Emergency Family Aid group known as "EFAA". And let me tell you-that was some serious work, there! In case you haven't ever had to do weeding before, let me give you some insight on thistles. Thistles can't just be chopped down and squirted with week-killer. Nope. Those weeds are much too strong and much too hardy to be taken out just like that. You have to actually dig the dirt out away from the base of the week for about two or three inches, that way you have something to grab that isn't covered with spiky, spiny thistle-barbs, and then, using brute strength alone, pull the weed back up out of the ground with the root intact. It was, and is, horrific. Some of the roots were at least two feet long, and with all the spines and barbs, us four elders had our arms, legs, and who-knows-what-else covered in rashes and cuts for the rest of the day. But in the end, it was all well worth it.

Along with service, this week was also great for missionary work. Last week, Elder Buchanan and I committed ourselves to be as serious and consecrated of missionaries as possible, in the hopes that we would be able to find some of our brothers and sisters who would be willing to listen to the message of the Restoration of the Gospel in the Fullness of Times. We spend many hours over the week knocking on doors, tracting out neighborhoods, asking for referrals from members...it was truly, and utterly exhausting. However, it was all paid off when, on Friday afternoon, we got a text from the Ward's Bishop, telling us that he wanted us to stop by a less-active family called the Gotschalks. The husband, apparently, is a non-member, but he's had positive experiences with missionaries in the past. And the wife, who is a member, wants to start coming back to church. We managed to stop by them on Sunday, and after talking for a while Elder Buchanan and I both felt that we would be able to work more with the family in the future, and perhaps be able to lead not only Sister Gotschalk back to church, but Brother Gotschalk back to his Savior, and into the waters of baptism. Definitely looking forward to working more with both the Gotschalks and the Spirit that fills their home in the future!

That wasn't the only miraculous moment with finding, either. Because Elder Buchanan and I decided to move our P-Day to Wednesday this week, we had to do normal missionary work on Monday. I wasn't too enthusiastic about that, seeing as we were now out of miles on our car, and had to bike for the rest of the month (cue sarcastic "yaaaay"), but in spite of our troubles, Elder Buchanan and I were able to have a terrific day filled with work on Monday. We biked up and down the hills that led to our area in Erie, Colorado, stopping by less-actives and part-member-families, trying to find someone, anyone to teach. And then it happened. About half-an-hour before dinner, Elder Buchanan and I decided to tract around the neighborhood our dinner was in, and teach just one discussion with someone. After knocking a few doors, we found this ex-Deist/agnostic, probably no older than twenty-four, who was interested in hearing what we had to say. Taking into consideration his beliefs and understanding of God, Elder Buchanan felt prompted to teach him about the Book of Mormon, how it answers the questions of the soul, and used the story of Ammon and the Lamanite King, Lamoni, (found in Alma 18) to teach him about God. The spirit was so powerful, it was crazy. Afterwords, we were able to give him, who by the way was named Matthew, a Book of Mormon, and he seemed very eager to read it that night. Had we spent P-Day that day, instead of moving it to today, all of that would not have happened. It was amazing, and truly awesome!

Finally, that brings me to today, and my spiritual thought for the week. Today, Elder Buchanan and I had the special chance to go and spend our morning doing work in the Temple of our Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ. As missionaries in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission, we only get to go to the temple once every year, due to the temple being so far out of our Mission's boundaries. Regardless, that just makes the trip so much more special, and powerful, for when we do get to go. For those of you who may not know much about the temples, this message is for you. First of all, the temple is a place where things that are truly sacred, not _secret_, take place. It is in the temple where we are able to do the work and preform the tasks necessary for those who have passed on to receive exaltation and eternal life. By proxy, or in otherwords, as a substitute for the deceased person, we make covenants and promises that are extremely special and sacred, and kept between us and the Lord. Don't ask me about the specifics, because I cannot, and will not, disclose them. For those of you who _do_ know of the specifics, though, and understand the meaning behind the temples, then you and I can both agree on this. The temple truly is the "Holiness to the Lord, the House of the Lord." It is there where we receive further enlightenment from God on our purpose, and gain further blessings and covenants to strengthen us in our lives. I am proud that I am worthy and able to partake in such blessings from the temple-blessings that I know, through my belief in my Lord and Savior, will carry me on to exaltation and eternal life.

In the sacred name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	40. April 21-29: Buchanan Edition

**So...this is Elder Buchanan's Version of how this week went...hope you enjoy it!**

The Book of Elder Buchanan Chapter 1

He who hath eyes to read, let him read,

1 And it came to pass that the 5th week of the transfer was incredibly amazing for Elder Buchanan and his brother Elder Weber, for they labored diligently in the vineyard of the Lord.

2 And while they were thus laboring in the 1st day of week 6, behold, they went forth into a neighborhood desiring that they should be blesses to find but one soul to teach the gospel to. For behold, they had been laboring by the sweat of their bikes all the day long and had found none that would have gladly received of their message. And being weighed down with much weariness and fatigue, they did open their mouths in fervent prayer that the Lord would look down upon them in mercy and grant unto them that they would be made instruments in his hands.

3 And while they thus prayed, their eyes were opened to the way in which the should journey, being led by the spirit, and came across one, whose name was Mathew, and he did receive them with much rejoicing (kinda, he didn't send us away).

4 Now Mathew, being raised without the ways of the Lord, knew not whether there was a God, and who God was. Now Elder Buchanan and Elder Weber did thus have the spirit with them, and they read unto him from the holy scriptures of the time that King Lamoni asked Ammon of these very things.

5 And they did read unto him much of the word of God and did testify with boldness that there is a God, and that he is the God "of all the earth", and that by reading these things for himself and asking God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things were true, that he would be enlightened as to the things of the truth. And that "by the power of the Holy Ghost (he) may know the truth of all things." Now Mathew, being curious of the things that they had taught, asked them if they had an extra copy of the Book of Mormon, and they gave unto him the very scriptures from which they had read. And he received it with gladness and said unto them "yeah i will probably start reading this tonight."

6 Now after things things had been done they all prayed together. Unfortunately Mathew could not give them his number because his phone was dead and he didn't know it, nevertheless as they departed thence and went hither to dinner (#rhymemaster) they were so full of joy that they could not contain the joy within them! They lept and high-fived with exceedingly great power, insomuch that it really hurt their hands, and caused much soreness to come upon them. nevertheless they knew in their hearts that the infinite power of the atonement covered ALL things, even such things that caused their hands to sting at the very touch.

7 And now we see that the prayers of the righteous are heard if they labor with all their might, and that the Lord God will remember all of the children of men and will give them success if they will but remember him in all things.

That was probably one of the greatest things i have done in my whole entire mission... too funny!

So yeah that is totally a true story! We went to the temple this morning, so we had to proselyte on monday and take our p-day today. The temple was so amazing! We did initiatories for about an hour and then did an endowment session. I felt the spirit like crazy and just had such an amazing time. I felt the spirit the strongest at the creation of Eve for Adam and how they stood by each other in the garden of Eden, even in their sins. I cant wait for a temple marriage! ;) It was just so awesome. Brother Forsythe took us. He bought us breakfast at I-Hop, some new garments, and lunch at Olive Garden! Even doughnuts from Krispy Kreme! Such a totally rad member.

I dont have a lot of time so that was the biggest story that i wanted to share. Other than that Elder Weber and i have just been doing so amazing together and getting better everyday. I love that guy! I am so grateful for how much the Lord has blessed me on my mission, and in my life! Just like Ammon, i am so glad that he snatched my from my sinful and polluted state, and had made me an instrument in his hands, even to the convincing of a (few, not quite a thousand yet ;) ) of these my bretheren of the truth of the gospel. How great is our God! I love all of you guys so much. My prayers go out to you that you may be able to increase in the testimony that you have, or are yet to find, and that you will be able the see the hand of the Lord in your life. Please open your mouths and share the gospel! "Even if you bring save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father." This is my testimony. It will be so great, you cant even comprehend it now!

Love,

Elder Joshua Buchanan


	41. April 30-May 4

**_Not so long ago in a state not very far away, turmoil has engulfed the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. The proper distribution of investigators to the missionaries is in dispute. Hoping to resolve the matter with a blockade caused by Seattle-like rainstorms, the greedy forces of the Adversary has stopped all missionary work in the small area of Coal Creek. While the Colorado Fort Collins Mission Leaders endlessly debate this alarming chain of events, the Mission President has secretly dispatched two Missionary Elders, the representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle the conflict..._**

Hey everyone! Happy Jedi Day! "May the _fourth_ be with you" all on this awesome and exciting day! As I said in the introduction above, this week has been very interesting, as far as weather has been involved. Rain, snow, sleet, hail-we've had it all, and very little rain. Buckets by buckets have poured down on our heads for the past three days, and there just doesn't seem to be any end to this storm. Even today, though it hasn't seriously rained yet, dark clouds and cold-biting winds loom over the valleys and foothills, betraying the stormy weather that is soon to come. And even before this stormy weather, Elder Buchanan and I were unfortunate enough to find ourselves slightly under the weather as well. Oh, we're find now, don't worry. But-now this is the strange part-the very day after we came back from the temple, both Elder Buchanan and I woke up with mild headaches and back-flipping stomach aches, both of which increased in severity as the day continued. Once the rains came, though, we were feeling fine once more...and had to suffer through the pouring rain and crackling thunder..._sigh_...

Well, on with the week!

Though the storms have bit down on us for much of this week, I and Elder Buchanan were able to get a decent amount of work accomplished this week. The family that we live with, the Dimigs, needed a few extra hands to help with the yard work they still had to do. This yard work included digging out an enormous lilac bush that was starting to die, planting three new fruit trees at the edge of their yard, and tearing down their gardens so they could put in a larger patio. Surprisingly enough, even with Elder Buchanan and me lending a hand or two to the work, we weren't able to take care of even just the lilac bush in one day. So, with the Lafayette Elders by our side, we worked hard and managed to pull the lilac bush out after four long hours of hard work...in the rain and hail. By the time we were done, all four of us were drenched head to foot, and the hole that the lilac bush had been pulled free from was filled with rainwater and mud. Exhausted, we decided to take advice from the beginning of Genesis, and put off the rest of our work for the next day.

Sadly, besides the yard work, there isn't much else that I can report on. Elder Buchanan and I tried hard to find people this week, but with the rain, the hail, and the pure exhaustion from everything we'd had to do this week, we just weren't very successful. So, I guess for now...this is all I have to say. Some days are harder than others. Some are filled with innumerable blessings, and others will find you crawling on your hands and knees, just trying to make it through. In spite of it all, it's important to recognize that regardless of our situations in life, God continues to love us. And though His presence might not be as noticeable some days as opposed to others, He is always there, lending us an unseen hand that honestly might just be the only thing keeping us from falling down and quitting. God exists. He loves all of us. I bear solemn testimony of this in the name of His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	42. May 5-11

Hey everyone! Elder Weber is here once again with a quick (I think) update on the exciting and awe-inspiring lifestyles of the average missionary. Sadly, the weather was once again not on our side, as Elder Buchanan and I had to tract, work, and trudge through seemingly endless torrents of rain all through last week! In some parts of the Boulder Zone, not all that far from where we lived, there were actually several reports of flooding or flood-warning, and Elder Buchanan and I were able to lend a helpful hand to those who had been hit hard by the floods. As if that wasn't crazy enough, though, we awoke to about two inches of snow yesterday. Yep, it snowed on Mother's Day this year. That makes it two years in a row for Colorado. But, with the weather aside, this was a pretty good week.

Last Thursday, Elder Buchanan and I set off to the Stake Meeting House for another one of our Zone Meetings. This time, the topic was centered largely on what small points us Elders were falling short on. Basically, from what the Zone Leaders could tell, we weren't all that good at waking up on time, studying in the mornings, and planning. Now, for those of you who remember from a few weeks ago, those are the exact same things that President Brown pointed out were _my _weaknesses as a missionary-as well as the points mentioned several times in the week before and after that interview. (I get it, Father! No need to keep hammering it at me! I'm working on it, I'm working on it!) The Zone Leaders used several different examples from the Book of Mormon to back up their belief that these three points are the most important points to work on as a Zone. Most of the references came from the Book of Alma, primarily the Stripling Warriors part in the War Chapters. Then, as if they hadn't gotten their point across already by bringing all of our favorite childhood Book of Mormon heroes into the mix, Elder Pratt also decided to bring up the point that the Stripling Warriors were doing what they were supposed to do because it had been what their _mothers_ had taught them to do. That _definitely_ brought each of us Elders committed to the goals we had to set! Since then, Elder Buchanan and I have been working hard to do whatever we can to get as many people as possible to listen to our messages.

While we've been toiling about in the snow and rain this past week, Elder Buchanan and I have been lucky enough to find times in our schedule where we can take a quick breather and relax. Now, I am not saying that I am using the schedule improperly! As someone in the calling I am currently in, there is a _lot_ of stress that I have to handle in some manner. And, seeing as my writing skills fantasy-wise have all but gone up in smoke since I left for my mission and I haven't a DS or Wii to video game my stresses away with, I've found that Elder Buchanan and I have to be pretty inventive with what to do. When the stress is really bad, sometimes we grab the Lafayette Elders and head over to a large park somewhere. With all the rain we've been having, jungle gyms and parks have been practically deserted, making them perfect places for a bunch of child-at-heart young adults to have fun playing games...without any worry of being caught or embarrassed. And, when the storm's sailing over our house late into the evening, and we need to wind down the day a bit, Elder Buchanan has been teaching me the ropes of playing **Magic: The Gathering**. It's been a lot of fun, though I don't know how much longer my brain can handle the strategy it takes to win! Luckily, it's not enough to keep me from staying alert and attentive to the spirit when it comes time to work!

Sadly, not all things are roses and lilies, here in Colorado. You see, today...is Transfers. (Dun-dun-DUHHH!) Elder Buchanan and I aren't getting transferred, though, which is very good news. This is a really nice area, filled with loving and kind people, and I really feel as though I still have a lot to give. However, not everyone is staying. Elder Fuhriman, one of the Lafayette Elders, is unfortunately getting transferred back to one of his first areas in the mission-one that he is not happy to be going to. It's been a lot of fun having him here, and I'm really going to miss joking around with someone almost as nerdy as I am (if not more so). Luckily, all is not lost for the Lafayette Elders, as in place of Elder Fuhriman, we will now be getting Elder Christiansen as companion to Elder Stone. Now, this isn't the same Elder Christiansen that was in my District back in the MTC. This is Ukraine Christiansen, aka the Elder Christiansen that was transferred to our mission when his mission in Ukraine was cancelled. He is also ex-AP Christiansen, and for the last two transfers he has been serving as Assistant to the President. Now, he's serving with us out here in Boulder. I look forward to seeing what kind of missionary he is on the ground-level, and hope we can all manage to get along as well as last-transfer's group did.

And now, for the high-light of my week. Yesterday was Mother's Day, which was incredibly special for me and Elder Buchanan because it is one of the two days in the year where we get to use Skype to talk with our family back home! (The other one is Christmas) I was so glad that I was able to have that chance to talk with my family again and see what's going on with everyone back home. Not surprising, everyone is doing great. My sisters are excelling at everything that comes their ways, my dad's doing well with his job and marathon-training, and my mom is managing life with as much zeal as ever. I have to admit, I got a bit weepy during the message back home. I mean, the next time I get to see my family is Christmas, and I won't actually be in their presence again until August of 2016. However, am I homesick? No! (...a little, maybe, but...) Why? Because, I know what I came out here to do. I am on my Father's Mission, to bring as many of my brothers and sisters to the knowledge of the truth as I can. That is my driving force. That way, as long as I have that goal in mind, when I do finally go home I can say, as Paul of old did, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." And from there, I can, with God by my side, begin to live my life.

I hope all of you were able to have as wonderful a Mother's Day as I was able to, and were able to show your mothers back home just how much they mean to you. Have a great week, and see y'all again next P-Day!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	43. May 12-18

div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"Hey everyone, Elder Z. S. Weber is back again with a quick update on how things are going in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. And, I'm going to be brutally honest with y'all today. This. Week. Sucked. I know, usually I start out these emails with all the reasons as to why this week was great, or fantastic, or (for those who emreally/em know me) awesomepicness. But, this week just wasn't one of those weeks where I could say stuff like that right off the bat. The rain just kept coming this week, pouring and pouring with almost no end in sight. On Friday, even, it emhailed/em. The hail was the size of peas, and for a while we didn't drive because we were afraid our car would get dented. Elder Buchanan and I were seriously depressed by all the rain and hail-it made working enthusiastically really hard. Especially when you're out in the pouring rain/hail, knocking on every door you can, getting the cold shoulder every time (literally and figuratively). If that wasn't bad enough, Elder Buchanan has been battling some bouts of headaches, stomach aches, and just plain exhaustion, so getting out and doing some serious work this week has been really hard for us./div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"However, even though the actual week was torture for a while, I am proud to say that every night is darkest right before the dawn. Every cloud has a silver lining. Every week has a Sunday. And this week's Sunday was just what the doctor ordered for two depressed, exhausted, and slightly sick missionaries. The day started off great, as both Elder Buchanan and I awoke just at the right time to get up and ready for our Ward Council meeting that morning. During the meeting, a lot of thoughts were brought up on how we can improve our efforts as missionaries, and how the ward can help out best in aiding us with teaching lessons. Some really great opinions and ideas were brought up, including having some of the families that have children turning eight and about to be baptized learn about the commitments made at baptism, and get them more excited for their baptisms. Along with getting the members and seven-to-eight-year-olds ready for baptism is that it would show them that their missionaries actually know what they (we) are teaching, and would (hopefully) encourage them to invite their non-member friends to attend the baptism as well and get introduced to the missionaries./div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"After the Council Meeting, Elder Buchanan and I just barely had enough time to grab our bags and relocate into the chapel, where the Sacrament Meeting was being held. This Sacrament Meeting felt much different than usual. As I took the bread and the water that was passed around, I can't explain what happened very well...but it truly felt as though I was receiving the strengthening wings of an angel to help me through the rest of the week. (I know, I know, in reality angels don't have wings, but that's the best way that I can explain it, okay?) After the Sacrament Meeting was over, the awesome and powerful feelings continued as Elder Buchanan and I went to the Gospel Principles class, where they were teaching about the Restoration of the Church in Modern Days. To help set the tone of the lesson, we actually read directly from the scriptures about the sacred and hallowed event that happened in the Sacred Grove all those years ago. When one young man asked his Father in prayer which of all the churches was right, and he received an answer that changed the fate of the world forever. Reading that story, no matter how many times I do, is always powerful and wonderful to me./div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"After our actually Sabbath Day service was done, and we were back home, we just had about an hour of lunch to ourselves before we were whisked off yet again, this time to Brother Rowberry's, the Ward Mission Leader, house. We were there to set our expectations for the next transfer, and what we had to work with already. I was surprised to see that we actually did have a considerable number of people we could work with, and are now planning seriously to work with this next week. Brother Rowberry was very easy to work with, helping us plan and organize our next few days with patience and skill. I guess it really helps to have someone presiding over the missionary work in your area that actually has a realistic view of how missionary work is. I mean, I'm sorry if I offend people, but raking in forty lessons a week and baptizing a different family every other week just isn't realistic when you're trying to have those numbers come up in a state-side mission. They just aren't. Fortunately, Brother Rowberry know's exactly what it's like to bleed and sweat for even just a few lessons each day, like I and Elder Buchanan are emvery/em familiar with already. So, I am very excited to work with him as the transfer presses on./div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"So, what do I have to say to close my email today? I would just like to bear my personal testimony on the importance of the Holy Sabbath Day. Back during the time of Moses, the law was set to "Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy." But how do you remember the Sabbath Day, and how can you keep it holy? The most common answer is to remember that the Sabbath Day is a day of rest. Now, after looking over what I've said about emmy/em Sabbath Day, you're probably thinking, "Now, wait, Elder Weber, but your Sabbath Day was so hectic and filled with so much to do. How can that be considered a day of rest?" My answer is this; The Sabbath Day is a day of rest, yes, but it is not a day for laziness. Our God and Father in Heaven gave us this seventh day in the week, this Hallowed Day, to set all of our other affairs to the side and focus on the spiritual matters that matter most in the end. We may not get a lot of rest during the day, that is true, but that's really what Saturday's for-recreational rest. The Sabbath Day is for spiritual rest and rejuvenation. We are uplifted, strengthened, and nourished thoroughly throughout the Sabbath Day, so that when the week starts up again, with all of the craziness that comes with it, we'll be strong enough to endure until the next Sabbath Day comes around./div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"I bear my personal witness that I know this to be true. Sabbath Day is a blessing, a time to rejuvenate our spirits and strengthen ourselves for all that Satan dares to throw at us throughout the week. May we all treat the Sabbath Day with the reverence and patience it truly is meant for and deserves, is my prayer, in the name of the Only Begotten, the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen./div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"-Elder Z. S. Weber/div 


	44. May 19-25

Hey, everyone! It's me again, Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting in for another amazing and awesome week of serving in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. But before I get to my week's stories and tell y'all why this week was so much better than the last one, I'm certain that there are some of you that are confused as to how I'm sending this email out. After all, it is Memorial Day, and so all the libraries that Elder Buchanan and I could go to so that we can do our weekly emailing should be closed right now. That is definitely true. So how am I emailing y'all right now? Well, it has to do with one of the things that make this week so epic for me and Elder Buchanan. So, without further ado...let's begin!

Last week, I mentioned how Sunday gave us the Spiritual boost we needed to go on with our work here in the Coal Creek Ward. Well, while we were still eager to do the work asked of us, the elements still wouldn't agree. Yep, the storms just kept coming this week, with rain, thunder, and lightning filling the skies for hours and days on end. Still, in spite of the pounding rain and booming thunder, Elder Buchanan and I kept a spiritual air about us as we went out and tracted the flooded streets around us. We were certain to remain committed to our missionary purpose, and do everything in our power to help our spirit brothers and sisters back to our Father who is in Heaven.

Well, that lasted for about another day or so, and then on Wednesday, Elder Buchanan awoke with a terrible upset stomach and pounding headache. While I was able to get up and start studying right at the right times, I could tell that Elder Buchanan wasn't feeling up to doing much of anything, at least not until he started feeling better. So, though we would've loved to spend the day out working in the thundering rainstorm outside, Elder Buchanan and I hunkered down in our cozy basement apartment and played Magic and read our scriptures. After a while, we got a call from the District Leader, asking if we could go on exchanges that night. We accepted, and so I packed my things and left to go join Elder Christiansen in Lafayette, while Elder Stone went to Coal Creek to watch over my ailing companion.

My time serving with Elder Christiansen was a lot of fun, and a good break from the monotony that had formed due to the constant rain. We spent much of the morning doing service at an elderly sister's house, weeding her over-grown garden and helping her get it ready for summer. After that, we headed out to an appointment with a promising investigator. Right off the bat, the lesson went south, as the investigator simply wouldn't listen to what we were saying. However, even with the troublesome investigators, the exchange with Elder Christiansen was great, and I feel as though I gained a lot of helpful knowledge that will bless me in the months to come.

Now, for the really fun part! After waiting for nine months (or, if you were an Elder that came out twenty-three months ago), our time of anxious waiting has come to an end. Ladies and gentlemen...the Colorado Fort Collins Mission is the most recent mission in the world to add the use of iPads to their resources. That's right-Elder Buchanan and I both now have iPads, which will make missionary work much more interesting. While teaching investigators about the Restoration, we can show them videos that directly talk about how God is our Heavenly Father, that Jesus Christ is our Savior and gave us the Atonement, or that Joseph Smith really was a prophet! We'll be able to Skype or FaceTime our investigators if all they have is fifteen minutes, but they still want to have a lesson. We'll even be able to proselyte online through Social Media hubs like Facebook, Blogger, and much more!

However, all that won't be for a long while yet. Right now, the focus is primarily on getting the mission used to the safeguards set up for our protection. When we were gathered at the Mission-Wide Conference in Fossil Creek, the speaker (Elder Neilson of the Seventy) told us that this protection and safeguarding planning was to prepare us to be "Disciples of Christ in the Digital Age." Our actions on the Internet can be a force for good, or a force for evil, and it is the hopes of the Missionary Department, and the Church world-wide, that the programs set up with these iPads will prepare us to use them for good, rather than for evil. What really stood out to me, though, was when they mentioned asking the Apostles if they could trust us-eighteen and nineteen-year-old men and women-to use the devices correctly, and they simply said, "We trust them, because we know that their Father trusts them."

So, that's the epicness that I have to bring to the table this week. So, for my spiritual thought for the week, I thought I'd do something a little different than usual. I simply have one question that I want all of you to ask yourselves.

What if, one day, an angel from Heaven came down to you, saying he had a message from the Lord, which would tell you all that you would have to do to be saved and exalted to the holiest state of being imaginable. The angel then tells you many marvelous things; the Restoration of the Church; the Plan of Salvation; the Doctrine of Christ; the Commandments of the Living Church; the Ordinances and Covenants of the Lord's Church. Then the angel tells you that you have to do these things, from repentance to baptism to tithing and more, for the rest of your mortal existence, and you will receive exaltation. Could you do it?

Now what if the angel then said, "You may have your own doubts that you can do the hard and tedious works I have asked of you, but realize that it is not I that have asked this if you, but your Father who is in Heaven. And He only gave you these commandments and these covenants, testing and trying you, because He knows that He can trust you, and He knows your true eternal potential, and He knows that if you only trust in Him, not matter what trials you will face in your life, it will all be worth it, and you will make it through to the end." Then, could you do it?

I bear my testimony that the Lord truly does ask marvelous and, quite honestly, intimidating things of us while we are on earth. But I also bear my witness that He will not leave us to do this on our own. He has surrounded us with people-family, friends, coworkers, bishops, teachers-who can help us bear up our burdens, lift our heads, and walk onward. Not only that, but so long as we believe in Him, the Savior Himself will be by our side, lifting our troubles and giving us the help we need. He knows we can make it through, that we will be able to return to Him again. Because He trusts us.

I bear my witness that I know this to be true, in the name of our Savior, our friend, the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Z. S. Weber

Sent from my iPad


	45. May 26-June 1

Hey everyone, it's Elder Z. S. Weber, back once again with a quick update on how things are going in the mission for me and Elder Buchanan. And, I have good news. The rain is finally gone. It took us almost three-and-a-half weeks to get the last of the rain out of the atmosphere. Now, it's just blue skies and sunshine for miles, with a beautiful summer just around the corner. I just feel like getting out and getting to work, a song of joy in my heart! There's just one problem.

The work isn't moving. At all.

Now, this has nothing to do with Elder Buchanan and me. When we saw the clear skies finally roll over the horizon, we were eager to grab out bags, hit the pavement, and get to work. However, it seems as though there is another force present in this area, which is keen on keeping us from being successful. From getting the cold shoulder all week long from non-members, less-actives, and investigators alike, to having bouts of tiredness and stomach flu swirling around our apartment, this week just wasn't a very successful week for me and Elder Buchanan.

I wish I had more to report...but I'm sorry. We just weren't able to have enough experiences this week for me to return and report on. However, this next week does look like it's going to get better. We've got more appointments set up with less-active members, and chances to meet with potential investigators just around the corner. So, while this week wasn't that great, there is hope for more good things to come.

However, though I didn't get to experience much this week, I did receive some spiritual insight. Saturday, after working with Elder Buchanan all day long, and feeling exhausted from the work, we went home and started getting ready to close the day. While we were finishing planning and heading to bed, a Elder Buchanan got a message  
from one of his friends on the mission. He said that Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles had died. At first, we thought it was just a prank, and then we pulled up lds . org. At age 92, Elder L. Tom Perry left this Earthly state, and returned to his Father in Heaven.

When I heard the news, I was honestly surprised by my reaction. I smiled. The last time I'd seen the Apostle of the Lord speak had been last General Conference, when he spoke about the Colloquium he and Elder Eyring had attended. He was so full of energy, so full of life. And now, one month later, he'd left the Earthly Realm, his mission  
complete. It didn't make sense on the earthly view, but from a more spiritual view, it all made perfect sense.

Elder Perry's mission on the earth was complete. He had done all that his Father in Heaven had asked of him, and now is able to return to the courts on high, back to the Father of his spirit. Not only that, but he is also able to now start spending the rest of his eternity with his loving wife, the woman he loves. I do not think that Elder Perry will be missed with much heartache and sadness. Rather, he will be remembered for who he was, and who he is-a Special Witness if Christ who had filled his calling and worthily accepted all his Father had asked of him.

In thinking of this, and Elder Perry's return to Heaven, I took a moment to assess my own personal worthiness before God. If I were to die, would I be as ready as Elder Perry is? Would I meet or avoid his gaze, as Elder Klebingat so eloquently phrased it in the October Conference of 2014. And what of my family on earth? Would I ever see them again? Would I have the chance to be the older brother I am to my sisters, once more after this life has run its course? Or be the son and friend to my father and mother that they have always loved?

I bear testimony this day, before all of you reading this and all the angels in the courts on high that there is no such thing as 'The End' in God's eyes. His desire is for us, all of us, to live with both our a Heavenly family and our Earthly family for time and all eternity. I know, that as I live my life worthily and follow the commandments that God has given me, that I will not only be able to meet His gaze and boldly walk up to Him, but I will be able to do so with my family I have now, and the family I'll have in the near future, by my side for time and all eternity. I am thankful for the promises of the temple, which let me be able to take part in these blessings, so long as I am faithful to the covenants made.

I bear this solemn testimony, in the sacred name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	46. June 2-8

Hey everyone! It's-a me, Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting to you live from Erie, Colorado, with a quick update on how life is going for me and Elder Buchanan in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. And I am glad to say that summer is finally here! The sun is out, the grass is green, and everything is alive and in motion! School is even out, too! That has to be my biggest shock. Didn't school just get out? And wasn't I just preparing to go on a mission? Now, all of a sudden, a whole year has gone by, and I've been away on my mission for nine months! It's crazy! But, luckily, these crazy nine months have been filled with fun, exciting, and spiritual moments that I'd never wish to have erased from my life, and this week has been no different. So without further ado, let's begin!

This week began fairly well, as on Wednesday, Elder Buchanan and I got to go to another riveting District meeting with the other Elders in our area. This week's District meeting was a lot more laid back than the last one, as our District Leader wasn't able to prepare much due to him getting packed up so he could move in with some of the other Elders when his companion goes back home three weeks early. So, we spent the day pretty much talking about where each of us felt we could improve as Elders and as a District, and collaborated together to make a plan that would be a sure-fire hit. Once the meeting was done with, Elder Buchanan and I decided to test our new found skills out. And they worked. We didn't get into a lot of non-member homes, but the less-active members and families in our area are very willing to now let us in.

So, we have that awesome day with missionary work, and guess what happens on Thursday? We get broadsided by a huge thunderstorm. Hail the size of peas and kidney beans falling from the skies, rain that flooded the streets and turned entire yards into swamps, and lightning cracking and flashing almost every second. Due to the harsh conditions, President Brown decided to make it a no-work day. Which, was perfectly fine by me, as it meant I could celebrate my birthday in peace. I was very happy to receive the package from my mom and family. Elder Buchanan and I made the cake while playing rounds of Magic and just having a blast. Then, when the storm had died down some, Elder Buchanan and I sat out in the yard and watched the walls of the storm around us flash with bright bolts of lightning.

The awesomeness didn't end there, either. On Saturday, Elder Buchanan and I got a chance to teach a less-active member of the ward that was really desiring to come back to church. His name was Stephan, and he was still struggling with his whole personal relationship with God. We were happy, however, to help him out. We told him, very plainly, that we were just there to help him gain greater understanding of God. In the end, it would all be up to him and his own personal dedication whether he chose to believe or not. Thankfully, though, it seems that he may choose to stay with us and work to return to church. We even have a return appointment with hi , so it should go great. I'm glad to see that the work is finally picking up. Even if it's not non-members that are listening to us, I'm glad that our less-active brothers and sisters are turning to God again, and as such are turning to us for help.

So, what could I have to say today? Well, recently I've been thinking a lot about how my missionary experience has been. I mean, I'm nine months out, and really I've only ever seen the fruits of my labors...well, actually, I've never seen the fruits of my labors. While thinking on that, though, I also looked through the different cards that had been sent over the week leading to my birthday. So many of them, the theme was the same; "thank you for the emails, and your testimony. You are a great missionary. You are doing a great work, in Colorado and in Utah. Keep going." As I read those letters, and cards, and thought over these thoughts, I realized two things. First, you never know what small acts of kindness or what short messages of strength can do to a person. Second, the blessings that come from those acts of random kindness may not come instantly, but they do come.

To me, I feel my thoughts are best described in the words of Elder Jeffery R. Holland of the Twelve. "**Don't give up, boy. Don't you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead—a lot of it—30 years of it now, and still counting. You keep your chin up. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come...some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, **_**they come.**" _(_An High Priest of Good Things to Come_, Jeffery R. Holland, 1999) I bear testimony that this is true. That, in the end of it all, blessings will come to those who are worthy of them. Though we may never see the blessings or outcomes from our endeavors, I pray with Elder Holland, that we will press on with the courage to bear up our burdens with happiness, to seek to do good to all those around us, and to keep our eyes fixed on the good things that are still yet to come.

In the sacred name of the High Priest of Good Things to Come, even our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Z. S. Weber

Sent from my iPad


	47. June 9-15

Hey everyone, this is Elder Z. S. Weber, checking in once more for an update on how life in Colorado is going. And let me just tell y'all that it is just too hot to function. I don't know how, but in the last week we've gone from being buffeted by rain and wind, to having searing sun scorch us until we're fried up like strips of bacon. Having the underground apartment we're staying in has definitely been a nice, cool escape from the heat of the day. However, even with the killer heat, Elder Buchanan and I were able to have some awesome experiences this week.

To start off our week, we go to Wednesday, where we rose up early and got started having a most enthusiastic day. We were dedicated to the decision that we would work as hard as possible today, and glean whatever we could from District Meeting that could bless us in our service. It was about the time we were driving to the church for the meeting, however, that we remembered that this week was Zone Conference week, and our regular meetings wouldn't continue until after the week was over. So, the rest of the day was simply spent doing missionary work while trying not to get over-heated.

Thursday, however, was a much cooler day, in both senses of the word. The Zone Meeting was awesome, as we were able to watch this video of the Twelve Apostles training the Quorums of the Seventy before this last General Conference. In the video, they spoke about making the Sabbath a delight, and having a more reverent approach to the sacrament. One of the really interesting things I gleaned from the experience was something Elder Nelson said-that if we improve the sacredness of our Sabbath Day observance and reception of the Sacrament, faith will increase throughout the world.

One thing I really liked was how Elder Holland explained the sacrament. He mentioned that we should take some time to ponder and remember during the sacrament, as remembering the Savior is one of the main requirements we have in the Sacrament prayers. He said we should think back to who the Savior really was, how He treated His apostles as His friends, how He loved everyone and found the time to bless everyone, even when He Himself was in need of blessing for his troublesome mission. How his parents, though simple and ordinary, did what no other parents had ever done before-raised a son to be the Messiah they had dreamed would one day finally come. It was really amazing.

He spoke on how the Sacrament is an ordinance, just like baptisms for the dead, and the covenants we make in the temple. As such, we should give it our full respect and devotion. We must prepare ourselves, physically, mentally, and spiritually, to partake of its sacredness. For truly it is sacred, the most holy of ordinances we could have access to in this tumultuous world we live in today.

After the Zone Conference was over, Elder Buchanan and I got a call from our ward's Bishop. He was wondering if we could talk during Sacrament meeting. Perfect timing, right? What I hadn't been expecting was that we'd be the only speakers, and both of us would have to speak for about twenty minutes. We were asked to keep our talks aimed at the  
family, and strengthening it. I decided to have my talk be aimed at improving the strength of the family through spiritual nourishing, family bonding, and temple preparation in the home. I was worried about how well I'd offer the information, but the members seemed to like both Elder Buchanan's talk on Sabbath Day observance and the family, and mine. So, all in all, it was a really great week.

Well, that's it for this week! Hope to hear from y'all again soon!

-Elder Z. S. Weber

Sent from my iPad


	48. The Best Defense

_**So, this is my talk from Sunday...hope that y'all enjoy it!**_

**The Best Defense**

Hello, brothers and sisters. Though you are all probably aware by now, my name is Elder Weber, and I and my companion Elder Buchanan are the full-time missionaries in this area. I'm from South Jordan, Utah-Go Miners!-have lived there for twelve years, and have been serving my mission for nine-and-a-half months. Though this mission has been a little rough for me, I love my calling as a servant of the Lord, and am happy to serve you here in the Coal Creek Ward for as long as He sees fit to keep me here.

Today I have been asked to talk about the spirituality of our homes, and the over-all strength of our families. In the ancient scriptures, the prophets proclaimed that our days-the last days-would be a time of terror, chaos, and complete and utter confusion throughout all the world. In more modern script, the Lord has even claimed our days to be a time when, "**[men] seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walkers in his own way...in the likeness of the world.**" (Doctrine and Covenants 1:16)

I don't believe that I'm the first to whole-heartedly agree with the prophets on this account, nor do I think that I'll be the last. Even now, we can simply turn on the television and see the terror, chaos, and confusion that has been foretold since the ancient times. There is no doubt about it-these are the last days, and the Adversary and his followers know it, and are already making their last stands to take as many souls as possible with them. The war is nearing its climactic end, and they want to go down in a blaze of glory-or, in their case, _in_glory.

Thankfully, we have not been left on our own in this battle. Since the beginning of time on this Earth-and perhaps more so now than ever before-the Lord has been there beside us, our constant captain, giving us comfort and knowledge so we can press forward against the forces of the Adversary. And what he has revealed to us, time and time again, are the secret battle plans and tactics of Satan in this seemingly endless war we are all enlisted in. If we learn what they are, if we need the Lord's counsel, we will be victorious.

The tactics that the Adversary employs are all aimed at dissolving the family unit. The actual sins involved in enacting that tactic honestly don't matter-every immoral and self-harming sin created was made with the sole purpose of destroying the family. In times of war, it really doesn't matter exactly what weapon is used to defeat the enemy-all that matters is having a weapon that can kill your phone before they can kill you. The same can be said for this war we are in now, and the tactics the Adversary employs.

With this knowledge in our hearts, we can best prepare and defend ourselves from the enemy. Now, the only question is, how do we do that? From my personal experiences in my own family, and from the words of the profits over the years, I've found that _our_ defensive tactics against the adversary boil down to three simple elements-in-home spiritual education, family bonding time, and openly-expressed temple importance.

**First) In-Home Spiritual Education**

When the Lord you visited the Nephites and the Lamanites in the Book of Mormon, One of the many great and marvelous things he taught them was this, "**Pray in your families unto the Father...that your wives and your children may be blessed.**" (3 Nephi 18:21) however, I doubt that prayer it was the only thing that Christ wanted them, and us, to do in their families that would bless them and their lives. Repeatedly, the prophets-modern and ancient-have preached that the most important place to learn spiritual principles is in the home.

For some of you, this may be fairly easy, as you have grown up with the Gospel always around you, and feel fairly confident that teaching at least the basics will be fine. Many of you, however, may not have the same opinions on this. You may be a convert of only a few years starting to really grasp the knowledge of the truth, a less active or in active member becoming committed to church for the first time in your life, or an active member who just doesn't have the gift of knowledge and wisdom others seem too.

From my knowledge, and experience, I've seen in my own family that spiritual experiences and teachings in the home don't need to be formal or organized things. For me, some of the most profound and spiritual moments in my life were when I was just relaxing out in the sun with my mom or dad, talking about life and it's struggles. Nearly every situation I was placed in, my parents had been placed in before as well. Through discussion of their personal experiences, and simple, genuine bearing of testimony of gospel principles at work in their life at that time, I received more spiritual help than had I been listening to the Sermon on the Mount.

Parents, open your mouths. Don't be afraid to share what you know with your children-in many ways, what they are going through may be similar to what experiences you have had. Your knowledge and experience can help them in more ways than you may now know. And children, listen to your parents-though it seems doubtful, they really do know best in the end.

**Second) Family Bonding Time**

"**A new commandment I give you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, love one another.**" (John 13:34) With those few words, Christ's entire mission-his entire life-was easily explained. We were to love each other with that hallowed and unconditional love Christ loves all of us with. This message of love is even more important when it is added to the threats in the family unit brought on by the Adversary.

with the evils in the world around us, Satan hopes to draw us away from our families and place our trust-our love-into something conditional, finite, and self-inflicting. That's all sin really is-80s traction that lures us away from the safety of our loved ones until we are lost and alone, easy targets for his forces. If the Adversary can succeed in drawing us away from our families, we will quickly fall into his grasp, believing that we can't trust ourselves, can't look to our families for help, can't get back up and start over.

It is because of this that love in the family is so important, and showing and expressing that love often. The adversaries powers are greatly weekend when we have a strong bond within our family and friends that keeps us from feeling completely alone-and, therefore, completely susceptible to sin. Showing this love doesn't have to be a planned thing, either.

If you noticed, I chose to say "family bonding time" for this, rather than "family home evening". While it is important to have that one evening a week set apart for family time, it's even more important to find those random spare moments to sit down and have fun playing Settlers of Catan or Uno, or going out for a spur-of-the-moment hike or bike ride. It was those random moments, not the plant ones, that I've seen help my family, as well as others, bond and grow strong and powerful he over the years.

**Third) Openly-Expressed Temple Importance**

The last, and perhaps most important, element I found for a strong and spiritual family is their devotion to the temple and the covenants made there. Going along with the war-theme, a soldier is less dedicated to his service if he doesn't know or understand what the end goal is. The same is true in families. A family that is united in the importance of the temple is one that will work together as valorously as possible to succeed in the war against sin.

How does one express this importance of the temple, though? Something so sacred and so hallowed as the temple of our Lord, what can we say that can really express it's full gravity? Sometimes, words might not be needed. Having a painting of the temple hanging on the wall can be A constant reminder of that goal. Teaching a child to sing "I Love To See the Temple" will fill them with a feeling of eagerness to actually go to the temple and see what lies within those pearly white balls. I know that song did so for me and my sisters often over the years.

Perhaps that one example that will speak louder than anything else, though, is your own. Parents, if you take time out of your life to go to the temple and make and keep those sacred covenants, both for yourself and for others who didn't have the chance, you will be living the example that you want your children to follow. You will be showing them the importance that the temple has both for you and for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Your love for the temple and for your God will help your children realize just what is so important about the building that they all long to enter into.

In closing, I'd like to bare my testimony. I realize that these times are hard. These are the last days. But even though they might be filled with chaos, confusion, and terror, the prophets have also said that these days will be days filled with glory, days in a dispensation unlike any other before it. Satan's forces might be strong, but if we keep our family stronger, if we make them a place of spiritual growth and understanding, we have the promise that Satan's forces will have no power over us, and we will stand firm and strong until the day that our savior comes. I know this to be true.

In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.


	49. June 16-22

Hey, everyone, it's Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting in once again with an exciting update on what craziness is going on in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. And this week has probably been the craziest week of my mission life yet. This is the last week of the transfer, after all, so y'all know what that means. It's Transfer-Time! And this transfer's set of Transfer Doctrine was pretty crazy, for all of us included. But, before we get to the insanity that came from Transfer Doctrine, let's get to the insanity brought on through the craziness of the week-because, in all reality, the week was just as crazy as the end of it was! From Magic to Munchkin, from frenemies to bonfires, this week was the craziest week ever. So, without further ado...lets go!

I think I'll start my week off with Thursday, when Elder Buchanan took a look at his actions and life as a missionary, and came to conclusion that he wasn't doing everything he was supposed to be doing. Together, we came to the conclusion that Magic: The Gathering, the trading card game, was his biggest problem. You know the whole 'leave all worldly things behind' part of the missionary rules? Yeah, definitely applies to Magic. So, we decided to see if we couldn't sell some of his cards. We finally found this place called the **Gamer's Guild** (totally sounds like the kind of game shop I'd go to in my spare time) and stood in line waiting to sell some of Elder Buchanan's Ultra-Rare cards he'd collected.

When we finally stepped up to the front counter, I noticed a display window with several Rare and Mythic-Rare Magic cards in it. I suddenly became well aware of why this hobby could be so draining on your accounts. There were some cards there that were worth over one-hundred dollars! Not only that, but some of the descriptions of the cards were just insane and crazy. There was one card that actually said that you had to tear it apart and sprinkle the pieces on your opponent's cards. Who would do something like that?! Anyways, once all was done, Elder Buchanan got thirty dollars from the game store. He then gave me the rest of his cards, which I thought was awesome seeing as I was starting to really like playing Magic in my spare time.

Now, the only question is...what am I going to do with these five boxes of Magic cards...?

Anyways, with Thursday done and gone, Friday came along and we had service once more with the Lafayette Elders. Well, much to my surprise, along with Elder Stone, we were graced by the presence of Elder Greer. Yep, DC Chillin' was back. I just couldn't believe it. I first met him in Loveland. When I left to Nebraska, he followed me. Now, with only a few days left in the transfer, he shows up again! I swear, sometimes it's like my life is Heaven's #1 comedy, with all the crazy and weird fiascos that go on in my life! Still, it was good to hear how things were going with him and spend some time doing some fun service to help the day go by faster.

Saturday, however, was where everything got crazy! Elder Buchanan got a message from one of his friends in the Mission, Elder Carnation, asking if they could hang out together one last time before they possibly got transferred. So, we met up at McDonalds, had a nice lunch, talked about basically anything that came to our minds-and that was when insanity kicked in. To my surprise, and horror, I found that Elder Carnation's personality is almost an exact replicate of Elder Buchanan's. For the last three months, I had gotten used to his crazy persona, but to know that there were now two of them? Once more, it feels like my life is Heaven's #1 comedy.

After we were done talking and chatting at McDonalds, we headed back to our apartment and played a few rounds of Munchkin with Elder Carnation and his companion. Once they shoved off back to their area, we headed out to a member's house for dinner. Turned out that, along with dinner, they were having a start-of-summer bonfire. So, we helped set up the wood, built a huge wall of lumber, and then set it ablaze. The fire was so hot, I think it might've melted Elder Buchanan's and my name tags a bit-even when we were over thirty feet away from it! It was as we were watching the flames rise into the sky...that we received Transfer Doctrine.

Ladies and Gentlemen...Transfers for June 23rd are...

...**Elder Buchanan**, transferred to Laramie as a District Leader, companions with my former companion, Elder Vakameilalo, both on bike. **Elder Weber**, staying in Coal Creek, Boulder, companions with Elder Hale. **Elders Wangsgard and Stone **are both staying in their areas, Louisville and Lafayette, respectively, and getting new companions. So, this transfer should be interesting. I have no idea who my new companion is. He's probably someone from the more northern parts of the mission. Someplace so far away that no one's heard of him before. Well, whatever the case, wish me luck with this new transfer!

-Elder Z. S. Weber

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	50. June 23-29

Hey everyone! Yeah, it's me again, Elder Z. S. Weber, with another quick email on how my life is going out here in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. As most of you might know from my last email, I've now got a new companion, Elder Hale. And let me tell y'all, right now-he. Is. AWESOME! So, he comes from Mesa, Arizona, and has been out on his mission for twenty months. He was originally sent to the South Dakota Rapid City Mission, but recently was grafted into the humble olive tree that is the Colorado Fort Collins Mission, and we are very happy to have him here. He's got a good sense of humor, a love for the Gospel, and a real driving force in him to do his Lord's work. I am very glad that I was able to get him as my new companion.

So, with that said, this week has been awesome. The first day, Wednesday, was mainly used in helping Elder Hale get moved in and adjusted to the new mission life down here in Colorado. The transfer bus was late getting down to the Mission Home on Tuesday, so he got here around eight o'clock, too late to do much more than get home and pass out in bed. So, we spent the day getting to know each other, planning for the new transfer, and getting all the groceries and supplies he could need. The day went pretty well, except for our District Meeting, where it was basically just a big get-to-know-you meeting that just went crazy and ridiculous. And I had actually been hoping we'd have a serious discussion this time!

Anyways, both Thursday and Friday were spent about the same way, with Us doing service in the mornings while doing serious tracking in the afternoon. On Thursday, both us and the Lafayette Elders helped out this place called EFAA (Emergency Family Aid Association) by cleaning one of the units that a new family was going to be moving into soon. Once we got to cleaning, though, both Elder Stone and I knew that there was just no way a new family could move in just yet. Just looking at the bathroom was enough for me to think we'd need a professional team and a power-washer to get the place clean enough for anyone to live in. Suffice to say, it didn't look too good.

On Saturday, we did even more service, as the Lafayette Elders asked us once more to help them out, this time with moving a family into an apartment complex in their area. We readily agreed, and quickly went to work. It was a really fun time, because we were able to joke around while doing the work. At one point, when there was a bit of a lag in getting the objects out the truck, one of the other elders stood from the balcony of the third floor and threw empty water bottles down at us like they were throwing knives or grenades. This eventually led to all of us, the family members included, having a water-bottle fight where we tried to shoot each other with water from water bottles. It was a really good way to end the move, as it had been an incredibly hot and exhausting day.

Now, then, that pretty much leads me to the end of my week, which means-it's time for the Spiritual Thought! This week's topic is...don't get distracted. To best explain my topic, I'd like to share a story once told by President Uchtdorf of the First Presidency. As you may have guessed, the story is about an airplane. It's called the Story of the Lightbulb.

"**On a dark December night [42] years ago, a Lockheed 1011 jumbo jet crashed into the Florida Everglades, killing over 100 people. This terrible accident was one of the deadliest crashes in the history of the United States.**

**A curious thing about this accident is that all vital parts and systems of the airplane were functioning perfectly-the plane could have easily landed safely at its destination in Miami, only 20 miles (32km) away.**

**During the final approach, however, the crew noticed that one green light had failed to illuminate-a light that indicates whether or not the nose landing gear has extended successfully. The pilots discontinued the approach, set the aircraft into a circling holding pattern over the pitch-black Everglades, and turned their attention toward investigating the problem.**

**They became so preoccupied with their search that they failed to realize the plane was gradually descending closer and closer toward the dark swamp below. By the time someone noticed what was happening, it was too late to avoid the disaster.**

**After the accident, investigators tried to determine the cause. The landing gear had indeed lowered properly. The plane was in perfect mechanical condition. Everything was working properly-all except one thing: a single burned-out lightbulb. That tiny bulb-worth about 20 cents-started the chain of events that ultimately led to the tragic death of over 100 people.**

**Of course, the malfunctioning lightbulb didn't cause the accident; it happened because the crew placed its focus on something that seemed to matter at the moment while losing sight of what mattered most.**"(Dieter F. Uchtdorf, _We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down_, General Conference April 2009)

Sometimes, in our lives, we can easily be distracted by things that aren't of greatest importance. Though some of these things aren't the worst things in the world, or even in of themselves "bad", like our work, or television, or...Magic: The Gathering trading cards...they can still distract us from the most important things in our lives. They can distract us from Jesus Christ, His role in our lives as our Savior, and our purpose while on earth. Though our distractions may be great, we can readjust ourselves-refocus on our spiritual altitude rather than the pesky green light bulbs of life.

How do we do this? The answer is very simple-read the scriptures every day. Pray to our Heavenly Father every day. Attend church every Sabbath Day. Do so with a mind set on Christ, with real intent, willing to do the will of the Lord, and the distractions will have no power over us, to bring us away from the work we are each called to do. I know this to be true, if we build ourselves upon a foundation of scripture study, prayer, and worthy church attendance, a foundation upon Christ, "**that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm [and other distractions] shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.**" (Helaman 5:12)

This I say on the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Z. S. Weber

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	51. June 30-July 6

Good Morning world and all that inhabit it! What a beautiful day it is today! As you might have guessed, this is Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting to you fresh from the town of Erie in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission! And, for the first time in far too long of a time, I can honestly say that this past week has been a truly great week! My new companion, Elder Hale, and I get along great, and we're both able to push each other far to get the work done. We're bold, we're strong, and we're confident that the Lord will bless us for our labors, be they profitable or not. So, without further ado, let's examine this week ourselves, and see just why this week was so great!

So, on Tuesday and Wednesday, Elder Hale suggested something to me that I had never considered before-bike tracting. The idea is very simple; bike over a large area with our companion to get to know the area and to reach out to those who are out and about, or enjoying the sunny day outside, and try to share God's love with them. And it's been an interesting experience. There are a lot of people that are very willing to talk once you have them outside of their front doors. Though they might not be willing to listen to the message, they can see though our actions and our words that we aren't that crazy of people. Of course, you still get the occasional person that says something crass or rude like, "Mormonism's a cult and you're all gonna burn in hell". But, hey, opposition in all things, right?

After working hard as missionaries on Tuesday and Wednesday, Elder Hale and I decided to take a break on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and see how good of ranch-hands we could be. The next-door-neighbor to our host family, the Dimigs, happens to be non-members that have had little to no interaction with the church. So Elder Hale and I got to be the first influence in their lives. We did this by serving them. They had approximately 1,120 bales of hay out in their field, and they needed help moving it and stacking it up for storage. By the time we were done, Elder Hale and I had moved about six-hundred of those bales of hay, truly showing our non-member friends that Mormons are hard-working people that aren't all that bad.

On Friday and Saturday, Elder Hale and I were able to celebrate our patriotism a bit. On Friday, we joined the Birds family for hotdogs and pulled pork sandwiches at their culdesac barbecue. As we ate and socialized, we couldn't help noticing how many people were coming to watch the fireworks that night. The streets were completely jam-packed. Going home, we could barely make our way through the masses of cars and pedestrians that were parked along the sides if the street. Just as we were clear of the chaos and off on our way home, we heard the first of the fireworks going off.

On Saturday, Elder Hale and I joined the Coal Creek ward for their annual Fourth of July pancake breakfast. It was really cool, as we were able to watch hot air balloons fill the skies and sail overhead. After everyone had been fed, and we're able to get their fill, ElderHale and I decided to play a round of horseshoes with the Elders Quorum President and Second Counselor. The awkward part was that neither of our teams could even get a point until almost a half-hour had passed by. Still, it was loads of fun, and afterwords, we still had the energy to play some ultimate frisbee with the young men and adults. So, it was a great way to spend the weekend.

Finally, Sunday was a great day because during Gospel Principles, we had a very in-depth discussion about the difference between happiness and joy. And it left me wondering...what is the difference?

To me, I see them as this; happiness is something of temporal worth that gives you satisfaction or entertainment in the moment. There are many things in our lives that can bring us happiness, or make us happy. For me, they're things like playing a good video game, or reading a good book. But those things aren't things that produce feelings that can last. You feel good after playing a video game, or reading a book, but not long afterword, you lose that feeling of satisfaction and happiness. Therefore, you need to seek out another form of pleasure or entertainment that can preoccupy your mind and fill you with happiness again.

Joy, however, is not something of temporal worth. Joy is something that is from our Father above, a lasting feeling of peace and happiness that does not flee the moment trials arise, but can push through them. God's source of joy comes from "**bring[ing] to pass the immortality and eternal life of man**" (Moses 1:39). Right now in my life as a missionary, my source of joy comes from serving faithfully and magnifying my calling as a representative of Jesus Christ. It's not an easy thing to do. Compared to playing a video game for an hour (or five) of fun and entertainment, it's long, laborious, and seemingly unfulfilling. But unlike the short-term happiness I feel whenever I play a video game, the long-term joy I feel from serving my Father lasts through even my worst of days.

In closing, I'd just like to bear my testimony that this Church is true. Jesus Christ is our Savior, and He lives. I know this to be true. I can't explain how I know this, but I know with as much certainty that I live, that He still lives today, and shall return soon to this earth. I hope that when He does return, I'll still be as fervent in my testimony as I now am, so that I can meet Him face to face and welcome Him back to His kingdom with open arms. I pray that we can all do the same.

In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Z. S. Weber

Sent from my iPad


	52. July 7-13

Hey everyone. Yep, it's me, Elder Z. S. Weber, signing in again for another update on how life is going right now in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. And...well, to best describe my situation, have you ever heard the old saying, "hit the brick wall"? Usually has to do with some kind of athletic event, where you're doing great, keeping pace, and then suddenly, you run out of steam and start to shut down. Yeah, well that was how I felt all throughout this week. I'd get up, start getting to work, and then some time along the course of the day suddenly lose steam, and find myself lacking in the desire to actually do the work.

It wasn't that I was undesirous to do the work from the beginning, far from it, actually. On Tuesday, in fact, we had interviews with President Brown, and I was able to enthusiastically and quickly list off some plans that Elder Hale and I had for this week, as well as several members that we were planning to work with. But, whether it's because of summer vacation and everyone's off with their families in another part of the continent, or summer activities like baseball, band, and other things take precedence, a lot of our appointments and plans fell through. Leaving us to do the one thing missionaries 'love' to do most of all-tract. And really, there's only so much tracting you can do each day before you feel yourself hitting that brick wall over, and over, and over again.

Of course, I'm not saying that I'm tired of the work itself. I love the work. I love to see people happy. To share my testimony and preach of my Savior, Jesus Christ. The good far outweighs the bad, and fills my heart and soul with everlasting joy. However, I recognize that there are going to be some weeks that are just off-weeks. Where nothing seems to go as planned, when life throws you a curve ball, when you feel like you've given all you've got, and the world asks for more. We all have days like that. It's a natural part of our human existence. The important thing when life treats us to this hard blow is to get back up, brush ourselves off, and keep going.

That's the whole reasoning behind 'endure to the end'. In 2 Nephi 31:20, Nephi tells us, "**Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and ****_endure to the end_****, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.**" Even after everything we do, after everything we learn, we still will not have learned enough. The most important thing to learn in our lives, when trials and tribulations arise, is to bear up our burdens with patience, enduring faithfully to the end. We must learn patience, and grow in our strength as Latter-day Saints, if we are to survive the harshness of a world that will leave us hitting the wall several times a week, if not a day.

I bear my witness to this truth. I know that if we press forward in patience, enduring to the end, that we shall be rewarded with that greatest reward Heavenly Father has for us-Eternal Life. It may not be the easiest thing to do. In a world of shifting views and opinions, with opposition in all things, and where good shall be had for evil, and evil taken as good, enduring patiently and faithfully can be a painful, taxing experience. But, in spite of all the opposition the Adversary may send our way, it does not change the joy felt by doing good amidst this chaos, or the sweet, everlasting peace that is yet to be felt by reaching eternal life. It will be hard, but it'll also be so worth it. I know this to be true.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Well, that's about in for this week. Sorry that I don't have some more entertaining stories to tell today. Like I said before, this was just a really off week for me. But, I promise, next week will be much better. Well, hope to hear from all y'all soon! Have a great week, and see y'all again next Monday! Ciao!

-Elder Z. S. Weber


	53. July 14-20

Hey everyone! Yeah, it's me again, Elder Z. S. Weber, here to give you the latest info on how this week was for me and my companion, Elder Hale. Sadly, once more the mission field has been left barren for the two of us, with only the smallest of sprouts starting to appear. We're dedicating and consecrating our time right now to planting the seeds, and getting the fields ready for the next group of missionaries to come in. It's been fun, it really has, but going out and tracting out the entire area can get a little tedious from time to time.

Luckily, Elder Hale and I were able to mix things up with some interesting activities that made the week go by a little bit more quickly. On P-day if last week, we filled our satchels with granola bars and waters and started hoofing it up the two-hour hike up Chautauqua Park. The scenery was beautiful up there—you could see the whole of Boulder County, miles and miles of beauty! Of course, the hike to get up there was a real killer. Several times I felt as though I was going to fall backwards back down the mountain. Luckily, I didn't fall—that would've definitely ruined the rest of the day.

Then, on Wednesday, we finished helping our neighbors, Jerry and Cherry, with their hay out in their fields. It was a really hot and humid day, as we'd received a lot of rain over the two days previous. Which then made for long and tiresome work. Still, it was nice to get out and serve our neighbor. Plus, it put our 'Tetris' skills to the test, as we had to fit as many of the bales into the back of Jerry's truck without them all falling off. This time was the hardest yet, as the bales kept slipping on the sides as Jerry's truck hit each pothole in the field. Luckily, no bales were too badly injured, and we were able to finish the hard work with smiles on our faces.

Sadly, the rest of the week went by slowly. Without service opportunities to make the time go by faster, and without any people on our lists that were still interested or even in town still, we were forced to resume our work in street contacting and tracting. I only have three words to explain the labor we had to face. It was rough. It seems to me that people don't like talking when we approach them at their door. Now, we _have_ been able to start conversations with people out in their driveways or even on their front porches. But as soon as we try to bring in the gospel, they shut us down and _kindly_ tell us to leave.

But, I guess that's the trial I'll have to face with my mission, I suppose. I was talking with Elder Hale about this trouble the other day, and he put it to me this way; "Sometimes we have to endure the dry-spells and the droughts of missionary work before God can bless us with the showers of blessings and work." I'd have to agree with him there. Not just with missionary work, but with all things in this life. Sometimes we have to endure hardships, trials, times when we feel like nothing is going for us, before we can receive the full blessings that God has in store for us.

I realize I might come off as a broken record with this, but this is the principle I feel God is trying to teach me the most through my mission. Be patient and endure to the end. Enduring hasn't exactly been the most fun experience I've had on my mission. Pretty sure hiking, laser-tag, and watching the goat-butchering were all way more fun than the constant tracting out the neighborhoods and contacting anyone and everyone we meet. But whenever I read the scriptures, and I find passages that talk about trials or hardships, it never says that they found ways around them, or ignored them until their situation got better.

No. They always endured. And that's what we have to do, as well—before we can receive the blessings God has in store for us. This I say in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

Sent from my iPad


	54. July 21-27

Hey everyone! It's me again, Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting to you from the Dimig's basement apartment in Boulder, Colorado. I'm here to give y'all another quick update on how things are going for me and my companion in the Colordao Fort Collins Mission. And let me just say...it is too hot to function! Last week, the temperatures rose to over 100° Fahrenheit, and the sun quickly scorched anything that dared move under its burning rays. Sadly, Elder Hale and I had to be two of the unfortunate elders that had to tract in said blistering heat. On the downside, we have now finished everyday sweaty and tired _as well as_ unsuccessful. On the upside...were now sporting some epic mission-tans!

However, even with the baking heat and stifling sun, Elder Hale and I were able to find some awesome ways to spend our time this week. On Tuesday, for instance, we went over to EFAA to do some service. We hadn't been for a while because of how little work was needed to be done, but we felt it couldn't hurt us to stop by. It was a good thing we came, though, because the place had gotten a surprise donation of blankets, sheets, comforters, and pillows from a hotel that was going under a renovation. So, we had about a hundred blankets, sheets, comforters, and pillows, that needed to be sorted, folded, bagged, and stuffed somewhere until they needed them. Going through all that suddenly made me realize what my mom went through on laundry day when we were kids...

On Wednesday, we got a surprise call from our District Leader, asking if Elder Hale and I could give the training during the District Meeting...that afternoon. Elder Hale and I had been called to do a training last week, but we hadn't the chance because we needed to fill out a survey for the mission. Luckily, we still had the notes, so we were able to be ready for the spur-of-the-moment lesson. Our training was on the powers of the priesthood in the church, and how we use them in our service as missionaries. One of the most important parts discussed during the lesson was how we need to apply it into our purpose, and seek to live worthy to wield the powers of the priesthood, that way we can truly live to our full potential as servants of the Lord. For a spur-of-the-moment lesson, we did pretty good.

On Thursday, we returned to EFAA for more service opportunities, and found just as large a load as on Tuesday waiting for us. Apparently, the regional manager was going to be stopping by later that week, so we needed to mow and weed-whack the yards so that it looked in top condition for when the manager came. While the yard work was going on, we also found out that they had a family in one of the apartments that had a bunch of broken furniture that needed to be replaced. So, while some of the missionaries worked out on the yard, I got the fun job of carry the chairs down to the trash can and breaking them apart with a sledgehammer, then carrying the new furniture up to the apartment. All in all...it was an interesting day.

Finally, on Friday, we got a call from a new family in the ward asking if we had anyone for dinner. When we responded that we didn't, we were asked to come over for make-your-own pizzas. The family, the Holeceks (Hole-a-checks), turned out to actually be a part-member family, with the father and his son nonmembers. As we talked, we found out that he had taken the discussions with past missionaries, but was still lacking the final step to move on to baptism. He's a computer programmer, and so his main problem is that he likes to see the answers before moving on. He reminds me a lot of Brother McManus, from my first area. It's our hope that, if we continue to work with him, we can help him overcome this hurdle of his, and lead him to taking that step of faith.

Well, that's my week! And that means it's time for the spiritual thought. This time, however, I have a story of my own design to tell.

This last P-Day, after finishing all of our preparations for the week ahead, Elder Hale and I decided to go over to Chautauqua Park for another round of hiking, continuing on from the hiking from last week. This time, we took a different path, and soon found ourselves at a fork in the trail. One trail led upward, and was a bit more rocky and rugged. The other was more level, and looked as though it merely led back down the mountain. We didn't want to return just yet, so we decided to go with the first trail, and see where it led.

The climb was rough for the both of us. The path seemed to be more made if rocks than of a trail, and the ground was loose and hard to hold onto. But these problems were of little consequence to us at the time. As young men with energy to burn and adventure in our hearts, we climbed our way to the top of the trail, unfazed...that is, until we found out our trail led to a dead end. The trail led to a sheer cliff wall, meant for experienced rock climbing, something neither of us could do.

Turning around, we found ourselves stuck. The trail back down was very steep, littered with loose rocks and gravel. Not only that, but this trail ran by a large ravine, a steep fall that went at least thirty feet down. Due to the exhausting hike up, we were almost spent on our energy, and fear crept into our hearts. What if we fell? What if the rocks gave out under us? What would happen?

It was during this that I noticed my glasses slipping off my face. In that moment, I realized I couldn't just stand there. We had to get back down the mountain. But I couldn't do it while I was trying to hold my glasses in place on my face. Though I knew I wouldn't be able to see as clearly without my glasses, I took them off and slid them into my pocket, that way both my hands could be out to steady myself, should the rocks give way during my descent.

Because of my limited vision, however, I was able to clearly pick out the shadows of the larger rocks—the rocks that were more stable than the others. Before, those shadows had been lost because of my anxiety in all the loose rocks. Once my vision was blurred, and I couldn't see as clearly, I could see the rocks that were the safest, and could put my trust in my steps. Before I knew it, we were back down on the trail, enjoying the beautiful scenery the second path had to offer.

My friends, sometimes we can get distracted by everything we see and hear around us. There are some doctrines that don't easily make sense to us, rules or laws that we cannot reason or find logic in. Sometimes, they might even be so terrifying, that we are hesitant to move forward in our pursuit of truth and light. However, when moments like that occur, I propose that we need only take away our 'glasses'—our focus on all the troubling things around us—and focus only on the 'shadows'—the core doctrine we know to be true that can lead us to safety.

Before you start doubting yourself, the church, or even the works of God, ask yourself; Is the Book of Mormon truly a work of God? Was Joseph Smith truly a prophet of God? Did he truly restore the Church of Jesus Christ? If you can say yes to all three of those questions, what else matters?

I bear my witness that this is the Church if Jesus Christ, restored in our days! It was restored through the workings of God, done through the hands of Joseph Smith, who truly was and is a prophet of the Lord and God of this World. The Book of Mormon truly testifies that these are so, and testifies that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the World. While I may not know everything, I know these three truths to be true. And that gives me the strength to press forward in faith. I pray that you can all say the same as well.

I'm the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

Well, that's it for this week! See y'all again next P-Day! Ciao!

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	55. July 28-August 3

Hey everybody! It's me again, Elder Z. S. Weber here again with a quick and exciting update on how life as a missionary is going down here in Boulder, Colorado. And, well, things are good right now...the work is progressing at about the same rate as always, and the people are about as accepting as always...but come Tuesday, there are going to be some epic changes for me and Elder Hale. That's right ladies and gentlemen, once again it is Transfer Week! And, let me tell you what, this week's Transfer is going to change everything! But, we'll get to that at the end of this message. For now, let's turn back the clock to Tuesday and see how this week went for the Elders in the Coal Creek Ward.

So, on Tuesday, Elder Hale and I were able to go do service at EFAA again, along with the Lafayette Elders, Elder Mortenson and Elder Stone. This week's service was surrounding getting one of the apartments on the top floor ready for a new family to move in. We needed to bring in an extra bed, rearrange the living room into more appropriate settings, and make certain the flat was clean enough to live in. Sadly, the previous family made that part a real challenge for us, as there were all kinds of disorder strewn throughout the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. It was times like that that I remember the old saying, "many hands make light work." Between the four of us, we were able to get the apartment looking livable again in just under two hours, with some spare time in between to mess around like the young men we still truly are.

Then, on Wednesday, we were (finally!) able to go back to work. We had called Kyle, our investigator, earlier in the week and asked is we could come by, and he agreed. After catching up for a while, we asked him about the talk we'd left him with about a week prior, "The Blueprints of Christ's Church" by Tad R. Callister (great talk for anyone who is wondering why us Mormons believe we truly are the restored Church of Jesus Christ). After discussing some of the questions he had, such as direct line of Priesthood Authority, and asking him how he felt about the answers he'd received, we felt prompted to show him the three-part video series, "Patterns of Light" by Elder David A. Bednar. It is our hope that, when we next see him again, the videos would've explained further how he himself could receive greater understanding and revelation, to lead him to the answer that this Church is true.

Next, on Thursday, we had quite a surprise come knocking on our doorstep. We were just getting ready to head over to service at EFAA again when we beard the knock. I went to answer the door and found myself face-to-face with...four complete strangers. At least, that was what I thought at the time. It wasn't until I saw the fourth face, which belonged to my former Bishop in my home Ward, Brother Brian Hancey, that I realized who it was. It was really surprising to have the Hancey's stop by, perhaps one of the last things I'd expect to happen while a missionary. It was fun catching up with them, talking about how my mission's going, and asking how my friend Trae, their son, was doing on his mission. It really was an awesome experience. One I'm not going to forget for a while now.

Finally, on Friday, we had another interesting service opportunity. While talking with Brother Dimig, our 'landlord' of a sort, we were asked to talk with an old woman that lives across the street from him, and see if we could do anything for her. In fact, there was something. She needed her car washed, seeing as she couldn't do it herself. So, grabbing a hose, a few sponges, and some paper towels, we got to work cleaning the car until it was glossy and sheen like new. The only problem, though, was that she didn't have a sprayer for her hose, so I had to hold my thumb over the hose to give it the additional pressure needed to clean the car. The result? One clean car...and one drenched missionary. Still, it was a fun service opportunity for us, to break the monotony of the day.

And, finally, we got to Saturday, and the dreaded announcement of who would be staying and who would be going. That's right...Transfer Doctrine. As I said before, everything changed with that announcement. And so...drumroll please...the Transfer Doctrine for Elder Hale and me is...

...Nothing! We're both staying here in Coal Creek! But, there is one thing that changes. Seeing as Elder Stone, our District Leader, only has three weeks left, we need a new District Leader. And seeing as my leadership skills are about as impressive as those displayed by a blind donkey with no legs (no idea where that came from, but...), my companion, Elder Hale, will be the new District Leader. So, even though nothing really is changing, not everything will be staying the same either. Still, I'm glad to still be serving here in Coal Creek, with Elder Hale. Looking forward to another awesome Transfer!

Well, that's it for this week! Hope y'all have an awesome Monday, and I hope to hear from y'all again very soon! Ciao!

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	56. August 4-10

Hey, everyone! Yeah, it's me, Elder Z. S. Weber, here once again with an update on how life is going for us Coal Creek Elders in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. Another week has come and gone, and Just like last week, it has many highs and lows that appear as blurs in my head. I suppose that's to be expected, though. After all, at the end of this next week, I reach my year-mark. And according to all other missionaries and former missionaries, the second half of the mission goes by the fastest. Of course, that only makes me wonder...the first year went by in a blur...so what will the second year be like?

Anyways, though this week has come and gone faster than the human eye can detect, there were still some great and interesting moments to acknowledge over the week. The first was on Tuesday, when Elder Hale and I went over to EFAA for service. This week's offer was a little different than normal—they wanted us to clear the weeds out of this section of the driveway where kids would ride their bikes and play around, and move a large wooden bench over there for the parents to sit on and keep an eye on their kids. This was the vision...the only problem with it was that we didn't have a bench. Instead, we had a giant flat-topped chest that they had been told was a bench. It still worked, you could sit on it, but there was just this constant worry that a kid would open it, crawl inside, and then get stuck inside of it when someone sat down on it.

This mainly came from the prank I played on the other Elders that came to help. The initial plan was to have me hide in the chest until they came up to sign in for EFAA's service, and then pop out last minute, like a monster in a Halloween a House of Horrors. Instead, the Elders decided to sit down on the top of the chest while they waited to sign in...and, as most of you already know, I don't really have the arm-strength to flip open the lid if a wooden chest _and_ flip the combined weight of two grown men off if it. So, after several failed attempts to push my way out, I was left knocking on the lid of the chest, asking the Elders to get off so that I wouldn't be stuck.

On Wednesday, the District gathered together for another District Meeting. The meeting was mainly planned to be a get-to-know-you for the new Elders in the group, and a planning session to see what all the Elders were expecting for this Transfer. Unfortunately, we got off to a late start because some of the Elders thought that the meeting was later than it actually was. So, to pass the time, Elder Stone at the end if the table started throwing goldfish snacks at everyone in the room, seeing who could catch it in their mouth. One Elder even sat at the very end of the table, his mouth level with the table's surface, and tried to catch crackers that were slid over to him. All in all, it was a very relaxed and refreshing way to start the day.

Finally, on Saturday (sad to say nothing much really happened on Thursday or Friday), Elder Hale and I had our first chance of the Transfer to go to District Leader Council. I hadn't been to one of those since I was companions with Elder Proffit back in my second Transfer...man, does time fly. Speaking of flashes to the past, one of the District Leaders attending the meeting was my former MTC companion, Elder Noh. Crazy. Elder Pratt's a Zone Leader, Elder Noh's a District Leader, and I'm still just a Junior Comp. Not that I'm complaining, or anything. However, anything more I can say about the meeting ended there, as Junior Companions weren't allowed in the meeting. So, I spent the majority of the next hour or so out in the foyer with the other Junior Comps, working on my studies, and maybe writing a bit for one of my stories.

So, yeah, that was my week. Sorry if it isn't all that interesting, not as filled with incredible stories about conversions and teachings. But that's just not the mission my Heavenly Father has sent me out to complete. Right now, I'm doing what o can to clean up this area so that the missionaries that come after me have a better area to work in. I might not be able to do a lot of hands-on teaching here, but I am helping to do God's work, and bless the lives of others. Proof of that came on Wednesday afternoon this week, when I received an email from a family friend, thanking me for the messages I was sharing. It's messages like that that remind me of why I'm still out here, what I'm doing. They help me push forward, because I'm reminded that I'm still doing a great work.

I know that God lives, and that his son is my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that he restored his church to the earth through his prophet, Joseph Smith. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that church, and that it is true. It has been, and still is, led by an ordained prophet of the Lord, who today is Thomas S. Monson. I know this, as clearly as I know myself. I say this in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	57. August 11-17

Hey everybody, this is Elder Z. S. Weber, checking in from Erie, Colorado, with another exciting update on how life is in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. Before I get into all that has been going on these past seven days, though...do y'all know what tomorrow is? Well, three-hundred and sixty-two days ago tomorrow evening, I was set apart as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. Yeah, that's right! In about twenty-four hours, technically, is my year-mark! Already, a year of my mission has come and gone. I've had a very fun and exciting twelve months out here, serving people, teaching the gospel, working with companions. And I just can't wait to start the second leg of this amazing adventure I'm a part of. So, with that all said and done...here we go!

So, nothing terribly exciting or inspiring happened this week on Monday or Tuesday, nothing out of the ordinary din of the week. On Wednesday, however, the pace quickly shifted up a couple of gears. We received word from our friends at EFAA that they needed assistance with clearing out and cleaning up thus one woman's apartment in this other part of Lafayette, further away than the usual Lafayette EFAA building. We were asked to clean off all of the furniture, which had a fairly thick layer of dust on it. Clouds of dust soon filled the apartment, which left me sneezing for a good deal of the day. As if that hadn't been bad enough, the chemicals being used to clean the room were so powerful that the smell practically burned my nose off of my face. However, in spite of all that, we actually enjoyed the work, and quickly got it all done with.

Then, later that evening, Elder Hale and I went out to this family that was interested in taking the Missionary Discussions. The Elzingas, as they were called, are a mixed family, with Brother Elzinga the stepfather to Sophia. It's Sophia that we're aiming to work with. Apparently, she believes that the gospel is true, and wants to take the discussions so that she can be baptized. So, on Wednesday we ran off to the Elzingas house and began teaching the First Discussion—the Restoration. The message went fairly well, we were able to touch on all of the points correctly and effectively, and it seemed that Sophia understood everything that we had said. The only problem was that we didn't flow well together with our teaching. Because we haven't had a lot of people to consistently teach, we've been out of practice with our teaching skills. So, that's what we aim to improve over this next week.

With that in mind, we were in the perfectly teachable mindset for the Zone Conference that happened the next day. When we drove up into the parking lot, however, we were met with a very interesting sight. There were several different maintenance guys directing the cars into a certain part of the parking lot so that, while in the Conference, they could install the driving monitors. Apparently, this conference was one where we would be instructed on a new tool for us missionaries called the Tiwi. Basically, the Tiwi would record whenever we drove five miles or more over the speed limit, turned sharply, hit a pothole too fast, speed up too fast, or slam on the brakes. It was actually a very interesting conference, at least for me. There's just one small problem with the Tiwi, though...

It keeps beeping at me to slow down in this one certain area even though I'm driving right on the speed limit!

...ahem...anyways...

So, those were the most exciting and interesting moments from this week. The rest of the week was fairly normal and regular, so there wasn't much to report on. So...that means it's time to move on to the Spiritual Thought!

Recently, while driving down the road and trying to ignore Tiwi harping on me even though I was driving the speed limit, I came across this message on a sign that said, "Live With Abandon—Live every minute like it's your last on Earth." Now, obviously this sign was just a realization of the old Isaiah prophecy speaking of people spreading word to, "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die, and it shall be well with us." However, I chose to look at the message in a slightly different way...to live every moment as your last chance to serve. I'd like to pull from the words of President Henry B. Eyring, who said, "**In the hardest trials, as long as you have the power to pray, you can ask a loving God: "Please let me serve, this day. It doesn't matter to me how few things I may be able to do. Just let me know what I can do. I will obey this day. I know that I can, with Thy help."**"(President Henry B. Eyring, _This Day_, April General Conference 2007)

We don't have a very long time to serve while on this Earth. One-hundred years, as long as they might seem, flash by in barely even a blink of the eye of our Almighty Creator. If we really want to make the most of this one, short and small moment to live, then we need to stand up, get out, and serve, in as little or grand of scale you can. All that truly matters is making a point to have every moment of your life be seen as a symbol that you have truly taken to heart the message of Joshua of old, who said, "**Choose thee this day whom ye shall serve...but as for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord.**" (Joshua 24:15) I pray that we will all be able to take Joshua's message to heart. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Well, that's it from me! Hope you guys enjoyed it, and tune in again next week for another exciting chapter in the life of a missionary. Stay epic, my friends. Ciao!

—Elder Z. S. Weber


	58. August 18-25

Hey everyone! Yeah, it's me again, Elder Z. S. Weber, with another quick update on life in Boulder, Colorado. Sorry I didn't send this out yesterday, I was caught up in something else, which will be mentioned later on in the email, so just hang tight! Now, before o get into anything else, let me just say...the drought is finally over! I'm not talking about a literal drought here—in fact, if anything, the heat seems to be increasing across the nation, as the fires in Idaho and the West Coast can easily profess. No, I'm talking about the drought in missionary work. For once, the heavens have opened, the hand of the Lord has been seen, and the work has begun moving along once more! So, without further ado, here's what made this week totally awesomepicness!

**Tuesday:** The morning started off with Elder Hale and me heading out to CU, the university in Boulder, to help some other Elders there with service. We basically needed to move all of the summer help's belongings out of one of the buildings before the dorm's residents returned that afternoon. It sounded easy...until we found out part of the work was moving a couple of two-ton washing and drying machines from the basement to the storage pods outside. That was the longest half hour of my life...

Then, that evening, we taught Sophia the Plan of Salvation. We were able to teach a lot more clearly than we had last Wednesday, which I personally saw as a success. However, if that wasn't enough of a sign that the lesson was a success, then setting a date for Sophia to be baptized, and her accepting it, certainly was a sign! Both Elder Hale and I returned home after that with a noticeable spring in my step!

**Thursday:** Not much happened on Wednesday...aside from Elder Stone and Elder Olson disrupting District Meeting by pulling out silly string cans and spraying a few of the other Elders (cough cough me cough cough) with them.

Thursday, however, was a day of service. At EFAA, we were asked to prune some of the large bushes on the south side of the building so that they'd be easier to remove once they started the renovations a few weeks from now. However, while Elder Hale went the traditional route with a pair of clippers, I decided to use a slightly more unorthodox tool for the work...a large scythe-like blade with serrated teeth and a clipper attached. It actually did the work very well, if the pile of branches I cut down was any sign to go by.

However, before we were finished, Elder Hale got a call from Sister Dimig, who asked us to lend her friend with moving. Apparently, she had asked the Zone Leaders to get help to her, but somewhere along the way, it had gotten lost or ignored. So, we quickly headed off and gave a helpful hand with the move.

**Friday:** Then, on Friday, the excitement with work continued on, as we were called to one of the families, the Techera's, for a lesson. After sharing a quick lesson about the importance of families, Brother Techera asked us to go with him to meet one of his Home-Teaching families. They were a less-active/part-member family, and after meeting them, I couldn't help but feel a strong feeling of certainty that they'd be great to work with. Chelsea, the mom, is interested in returning to church so that her daughter can have a strong foundation through life, and Chad, the dad, is a non-member who seems to be open about the gospel. So, looks like we could have more work very soon!

**Monday:** Finally, yesterday, we had Mission Tour. It was held in the Trilby building, the church building in my first area of the mission, and this time, Elder Jorge Zeballos of the Seventy came to speak to us. It was an incredibly spiritual and moving moment, as it was a training for the newer missionaries about how to do the work, and a reminder for seasoned veterans like myself as to how the work works. Afterword, while at lunch, I had the happy occasion to see Sister Clevery, the wife of the bishop that had served at the time I was in the Fossil Creek Ward. It was nice to see a familiar face again, and hear about how things were going in the Ward. The only thing that dampened my mood a bit was that the McManus family, who were my first investigators, still had yet to be baptized. But, still, it was a great day.

So, to close this message, I'd like to share a quick spiritual thought. At times in our lives, we're going to face adversity. These past few months of my life, in the mission field, have been some of those trying times, when we're tossed upon a sea of trials and troubles. However, just as there are terrible trying times in these spiritual storms, these storms give us a chance to grow, to look to God for support. At those times, we can be reminded of this poem,

_God moves in a mysterious way,  
__His wonders to perform.  
__He plants his footprints in the sea,  
__And rides upon the storm._

_Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take.  
__The clouds you so much dread,  
__Are big with mercy, and shall break  
__In blessings on your head._

(William B. Bradbury)

Though the storms are fierce, we need not fear. They come from God, and are merely another chance in our lives to prove ourselves to him. Let us stand strong against the adversities of our lives, against the adversary himself, and dare to brave the storm, knowing that as long as we stand beside our Savior, we cannot, indeed we will not, fail. This I say, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, amen!

—Elder Z. S. Weber


	59. August 26-31

Gooood morning Vietnam...I mean, Colorado. This is Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting in once again from Erie, Colorado, with a quick report on how life is going here in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. This week has been an exciting—yet tiring—six days since the last email I shot out to y'all last Tuesday. We've fought against the blistering heat, the buffeting wind, and the shrill-voiced TIWI's, yet we've still managed to have a great week, one that was worth the report. So, without further ado, here's Week 55, and the epicness that ensued.

So, starting on Wednesday, Elder Hale and I got a call from our Zone Leaders, asking (cough cough requesting cough cough) us to go out on exchanges with them. Elder Hale ended up going to their Young Single Adult Ward over by the college with Elder Moala, while I stayed in the Coal Creek Ward with Elder Pratt. Because we hadn't had much time to prepare for the Exchanfe, and because we were already short on our list of investigators, I decided we should go out tracking. Much to my surprise, we were able to actually have some very pleasant conversations, and aptly hand out a few copies of the Book of Mormon.

Then, that evening, we got another chance to teach Sophia and her family. This time, the lesson was on the Gospel of Jesus Christ—you know, Receive Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Repent, be Baptized, Receive the Gift if the Holy Ghost, and Endure to the End. It went fairly well, but whenever I felt that I had covered one of the topics in the discussion well, and felt that we could move on to the next point, Elder Pratt would jump in and cover everything is already said, and then add some if the deeper details. It irritated me a bit, but we were able to get through the lesson just fine, without any really bad hiccups or concerns.

Moving on, on Thursday we exchanged back with our previous companions. But before we could do that, we had service at EFAA to get to. Last week, we had pruned several bushes, so we had piles of dead branches to take to the dumpster and a giant bush stump to dig out of the ground. It was rough work, but with six hands to work together, we were able to gather all of the dead branches together and toss them away. Meanwhile, Elder Pratt pretty much handled the stump on his own, digging it up and tearing it out like it was nothing. With that done, we closed shop for the day, bid each other a good evening, and headed back out to continue our days.

Other than that, however, the rest of the week wasn't all that exciting. Though the work is still moving, it's still taking a while before we'll be at full speed. But, for now, the work we've got is good. Just this morning, I received an email from my sister Becky, who told me about a friend of mine who shared a story to relate to the struggles of the mission work. I hope he doesn't mind if I share that same story here.

**_An old man was walking along the beach, a early in the morning, and he came across the figure of someone, who looked like he was dancing. As he approached he say a young man picking up starfishes from the shore and tossing them into the ocean. _**

**_"What are you doing?" Asked the old man._**

**_"The sun is almost up, so the tide will be going down soon. I'm throwing in the starfishes before they die." He explained._**

**_"There are countless starfishes that line this shore, for miles! You can't possibly make any difference." The old man argued. The boy bent down and picked up a single starfish, throwing it back in, past the crashing waves, and then turned to the man._**

**_"It made a difference to that one."_**

I might never see how far my work goes...but as long as I spend my life serving God, I will be happy, and I will make a difference. It may just be a single drop in an entire ocean, but it's one drop that wasn't there before. In the sacred name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	60. September 1-7

...testing one-two-three...testing, tes—What? We're on the air already? Oh, well...ahem...

Good morning world, and all that inhabit it! This is your totally epic missionary straight from the Colorado Fort Collins Mission, Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting to you live from the town of Erie, Colorado! Once more, I've got some interesting and inspiring stories and tales to tell y'all, from the beginning of the week to the end. But before we get to that, I'd just like to give a quick thank you to all of you reading this email. Missionary life is perhaps the hardest thing someone can experience, second to serving as a General Authority to the Church. The emotional, mental, and spiritual stress from the work wears you down day after day, and sometimes you find it hard to continue. For all of you that pray for the missionaries like me, who ask the Lord to bless them...please keep the prayers coming. You don't realize just how much impact those prayers have to Elders like me and Elder Hale, whose hands hang low, and whose knees are feeble. We thank you for your love, and we hope we can only keep living worthy of the blessings we all hope the Lord will rain down upon us for our service.

On that jaunty, up-beat note, we start our tale of the week, starting with Tuesday. Normally on Tuesdays now, Elder Hale and I have to go to District Leader Council, where Elder Hale discusses plans and work with the other District Leaders in our Zone, and I get some time to study. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, DLC was moved to this Saturday, letting Elder Hale and me join the other elders, Elder Mortensen and Olson, at service at EFAA. This time, we were being asked to remove the gravel from the playground in the back, so that they could remove the old playground and install a new, larger one. Sounded simple enough...until, of course, we got to working. Ever been to the beach, and seen the endless expanses of sand that stretch across the shoreline and into the ocean? Yeah, that's what it was like for us with the pea-gravel. The more we'd shovel into the wheelbarrow and tote out of the playground, the more there still seemed to be. It was exhausting experience, one that is still on-going, as we have yet to beat the beast!

On Wednesday, we were able to take a quick break from the rigors of the service, and enjoy a nice and peaceful District Meeting. Rather than go to the Stake Center, however, and sit through lectures and boring lessons, one of the Elders thought it'd be a great idea if we had a barbecue at his member's house, and have a more relaxed District Meeting there. At first, I was hesitant, but it ended up going very well. It was a bit of a confusing drive to get to their apartment (the GPS had to reroute itself about three times), but when we got there we were able to have a great lunch of hot dogs and hamburgers with the other Elders and their member family. And afterwords, we discussed how our work was doing in our respective wards, and what we could do to improve. All in all, I thought it was a very wonderful District Meeting.

Then, that evening, we were asked by the Priest's Quorum to come join them at Mutual. Apparently, this month of September is their missionary-month, where they learn more about missionary life, the ups and the downs, and study more about what missionary life requires from them, that way they'll be ready to get to work once the call to serve comes to them. So, we were asked to answer any io their questions for them, and help them get a good feel about what mission life is like. The questions ranged from 'what do you wish you could've prepared more for from your mission?', to 'what should we watch out for from the MTC?', to even just 'what's the average life of a missionary in the mission field?' At the end if the questions, we decided to have some fun with the Priests and show them how to role-play lessons. It was funny seeing the struggle us elders have everyday reflected in the different Priests as they tried to have a realistic conversation about the church with their friends pretending to be non-members.

Finally, on Saturday, we finally had to have District Leader Council, as had been requested. I didn't mind it too much, of course, because I didn't actually have to be in the meeting, I just had to hang out in the foyer with the other non-District Leaders. As usual, Elder Westrup had been the one to think ahead and had brought something along to entertain himself and us with—a small Nerf gun with a sticky Nerf dart. While we talked amongst each other, he'd just randomly shoot at us, the walls, or targets like an empty water bottle to pass the time. It was all very nice and fun...until he shot it at the ceiling and it stuck. After about ten minutes of waiting for gravity to do its part and nothing happening, we soon realized that we were in trouble. After about another half-hour if waiting, it finally fell from the ceiling, and we wisely decided to put the toys away for the rest of the DLC.

Well, that's my week! Thanks again for all the love you guys send. I'm not certain I'd be able to last as long on my mission as I have if it weren't for the love and courage you send, through letters, through emails, through tender-hearted prayers. They lift me up and help me push on. Even when I'm at my lowest point as a man and a missionary, when I feel like I can't go any further, I feel my strength renewed whenever I see a letter waiting for me at the kitchen counter, or a new email in my mailbox. So, once more, thank you for the love that you've given me. You really don't know how wonderful it feels, and how much each of us missionaries truly need it just to get through the day.

Hope y'all have a great week! Love y'all, and hope to hear from y'all again next week! Stay epic, my friends!

—Elder Z. S. Weber


	61. September 8-14

Hey guys, it's-a me, Elder Z. S. Weber, here once again with a quick update on how my life is in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. But, before I get to all that, can anyone tell me what happens tomorrow? I'll give you a hint—every six weeks, I bring this subject up, and it often comes with wracked nerves and anxious minds. Give up? Alright, I'll just come out and say it—tomorrow is Transfers! Yep, it's here once more, and this next Transfer brings a lot of crazy changes with it. What are these changes, you may ask? Well, if I told y'all what they were right now, it wouldn't be all that much of a surprise, now would it? So, instead, I figure I'll just go into my week, and leave you at the edge of your seat, anticipating the Transfer news.

I know. I'm evil.

Anyways, on to the week! To be honest, this week only had two major events that I feel were worth mentioning here. The first event was on Tuesday, when we were asked to go out in splits with the Priests and visit families throughout the ward, just to give them a taste of what missionary life is like. Sadly, I hadn't been feeling too well (I  
think it might've been something I'd had when we went to Taco Bell for a quick lunch...), so I found the activity very exhausting. Still, it was an interesting evening, and we were actually able to get into a few families' homes, so I feel it was a very good experience for all the young men that were involved.

The second event, on Wednesday, we once more went over to the Elzinga's house to teach Sophia. This time, we were teaching about how the church is run, through the auxiliary groups in the church and the priesthood power. It was a really rough lesson, mainly because the priesthood and auxiliary groups are really something in the church that's really kind of too dense for little kids to easily grasp. To be completely honest, I still struggle understanding some of the mechanics behind how the church is run, and even then it sends my mind for a good spin every once in a while. However, after we gained a little assistance from Brother and Sister Elzinga, we were able to get the lesson on track, and finish off strong.

Other than that, we had a Zone Meeting where some Elders brought Otter Pops to snack on throughout the trainings, service at EFAA where we uprooted four bushes, and the usual work of tracting and finding people spread throughout the week. All of that led up to Saturday, with life-changing Transfer information. So, without further ado...

I'm staying! As is Elder Hale! For some crazy reason, the forces that control Transfers have seen fit to keep the two of us together for Elder Hale's last transfer. However, just because we are still in our companionship doesn't mean we aren't without our own changes. For starters, I'm no longer the designated driver—Elder Hale is...which means I'm in charge of the cell phone...yaaayyy...Also, Elder Hale is no longer a District Leader. In fact, the Louisville District, which was our District, is no more. It's been dissolved into the two other Districts in the Boulder Zone. So, this next Transfer is looking to have a lot of major changes throughout. I'm certainly looking forward to them! Let's make this next six weeks the best yet, right?

Well, that's really all I have to say this week. Sorry that there isn't a spiritual thought this time. Well just have to give you a special edition one next week! Hope y'all have an epic week, and see y'all later! Ciao!

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	62. September 15-21

Hey everybody, how y'all doing today? It's just me again, Elder Z. S. Weber, checking in again from Erie, Colorado, with an update on how my life as a missionary is going in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. Now, before we get anywhere, you might recall that in my last email I told y'all that Elder Hale was going to take over the driving from now on. Anyone remember that? Well, fast forward to today...everything about this was a bad idea. Now, I'll admit, I'm not the best driver, so the people in the Mission Office must've thought it'd be a great idea to put Elder Hale in control. No it was not. At least now he understands why I always jumped five feet in my seat whenever the TIWI would come on, "**CHECK YOUR SPEED!**" And, on the other hand, now I see why he always laughed so loudly when that happened, as well.

Anyways, on to the week. This week was very interesting, as we were working around the new changes that came from the Transfers last week. The first change was that District Meeting was now on Thursdays, and like a half-hour drive away from our home. It's like Nebraska all over again! Heck, the building we now meet in is actually the the same building as the Mission Office for the Colorado Denver North Mission. Why that's in our mission boundaries, I have no idea. However, there are some new and familiar faces in our District. Elder Earl, from my first District, is there, as well as Elder Taylor, who I believe I remember from that same Zone, and Elder Anderson, from the Nebraska Zone. All in all, it seems like a pretty all-right group. They're serious about the work, but not so serious that they can't have fun, too.

Another major change was our service. Because we now have District Meeting on Thursday, our Thursday service at EFAA now has to be bumped up a couple hours in order to get to it and get work done. This week, actually, we had to uproot yet another bush (just how many bushes are we gonna end up uprooting?!) and prune some of the other bushes up. Luckily, our friends Elders Mortensen and Olson needed to move their service up, as well, so we were able to have an enjoyable time pruning. Elder Olson even got up into the tree that was beside the bushes we were working on, and pruned some dead branches that were getting in the way. I can tell you right now, I would've not done the same. First of all, I can't even get up into the tree, and second of all, I'd just cling to the trunk for dear life, unable to do anything productive.

That's pretty much everything major that changed with Transfers though. Things are pretty much the same as they were before Transfers. Heck, we still see Elders Olson and Mortensen on a nigh daily basis. After all, we're both in the adjacent wards and areas, we have service in the same places. Last Saturday, even, we were at the same dinner at the Stake Center. Work's still going slow, but I hope things get better as time moves on. Sorry that I don't have a spiritual message this week...things are just draining right now—mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, everything. Still, there's always positive in the future. If we work harder, and stay more focused, we should be able to get out of this funk of ours, and move along.

Hope to hear from y'all again soon.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	63. September 22-28

Hey everyone, it's just me again, Elder Z. S. Weber. Another tiresome week has come to an end, and so here I am with the news for the week. To be roughly honest, this week was perhaps both my hardest and most draining week yet. Another apostle died this week, Elder Richard G. Scott, someone I had not been anticipating dying for another while. President Packer back in July had almost been expected, but not Elder Scott. Then, later on in the week, we found out we were going to have to drop Sophia because of problems with her family situation. She was going to move in with her birth father, and wasn't going to be in our area often enough for us to teach her, so our teaching days with Sophia are over. So, yeah, it's been a very tiring and laborious week.

That being said, I feel it's important to point out that the tender mercies of the Lord are all around us, to lift us up when our hands hang low and our knees are feeble. For me, I think it came in several different short spurts over the week.Monday evening, we gathered together as a Zone for Zone Dinner, and it was nice talking with old friends and familiar faces. On Tuesday, we were doing service at EFAA again, and enjoying our time together—me, Elder Hale, Elder Olson, and Elder Mortensen—was fairly relaxing and worth while. Even Wednesday had some peace to it, as we were able yo do some work at Josephine Commons, the retirement center, in the kitchen. Spending the time serving the elderly was a great way to get our minds off of the troubles of our area, and just lose ourselves in service.

However, the best recuperation time came on Thursday. There were really just small things that happened throughout the day that lifted our spirits—a member asked to pay for our lunch at Taco Bell, we got letters from home, I got a couple packages from my mom and dad. However, there was one much greater moment that really helped push through the clouds of depression that had been hovering over me these past few weeks. We met up at the Broomfield building for District Meeting again. Because last week had been more of a rushed event, we spent the first half of the meeting getting to know each other better. It was a real nice way to kick back and unwind before we all got serious about the work and the meeting.

The meeting was on the First Vision. To begin the meeting, we recited the words Joseph Smith wrote on his vision—"**I saw a pillar of light, above the brightness of the sun, which descended slowly until it fell upon me...when the light rested upon me, I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said, pointing to the other, This is my beloved Son. Hear Him.**" Even now, when I read that text, I feel cool goosebumps travel down my spine and leave me all tingly. After we finished reciting the passage if scripture, we then went around in a circle and stated what truth revealed through the First Vision we felt was most important for us.

Now, I could go on and say what everyone said, but I don't think that's what's important. You can take whatever you see fit to take from the First Vision, and as long as it is a true gospel principle, it'll have value and importance to you. But what I find important to talk about now is the simple fact that had this moment in church history not happened, then this Church is not the true Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If God the Father and the Savior Jesus Christ did not appear to the boy Joseph all those years ago, then he was not a prophet, did not receive the gold plates, and created a false religion that has been able to trick millions of people for almost two-hundred years. That's why the message I have to tell you all now is a very simple three-word sermon.

It's all true.

Every revelation this church has ever brought out, every blessing and proclamation to its people and its world's people. Indeed, every word that has proceeded out if the mouth of a prophet of the One True God has been, and ever will be, true revelation from God. Because Joseph Smith truly did speak to God the Father and the Savior Jesus Christ in the Sacred Grove. Because Joseph Smith truly did find the lost record of gold plates in the Hill Cumorah. Because Joseph Smith truly did translate them through the power of God, and was the man through which the gospel in its fullness was restored. Because he did all of that, I know without any doubt in my mind that this church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints truly is the restored church, the only completely true church in the entire world.

There are those that may see differently than me, and while I applaud you for your devotion to a God—any god—I can't help but feel you are missing out on something much grander that you can't even yet comprehend! There's so much more out there than what you yet know. Please, if you'll only take the time to test the words I speak, the words our prophets speak, I can promise you that you will see what I mean. For those who are willing to take this test, may I offer a challenge. This coming weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, is the General Conference for the Church if Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The sessions are 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm (Mountain Standard Time) on both days. You can find where to watch it online through BYU tv or LDS . org. My challenge is simple.

Watch it. Listen. Hear the words the prophets declare. Listen with an open mind, an open heart. I promise you, the truth will be revealed unto you, if you only let it in. I can promise you this, both as your friend, your spirit brother, and as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ, in whose hallowed name I praise. Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	64. September 29-October 5

Hey everyone! How are all of you doing this week? This is Elder Z. S. Weber, signing in once again with an update on how life is going in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. And, to be completely honest...Autumn has **_definitely_** come. Some of the more obvious signs are lagging behind, like the color change in the leaves, but everything else is here. Goodbye the warm and comfortable summer days of August and July, say hello to the brisk and bitter windy days of October and November. Goodbye sunshine and blue skies, say hello to thunderstorms, bleak skies, and misty mornings. Goodbye short-sleeves, say hello to long-sleeves, rain coats, and uncomfortable sweaters!

...ahem...anyways...

Despite the quick shift in seasons, the weather hasn't actually changed much in our routine—at least not from this week. To start off our report, let's head back to Tuesday of this week. This week, when we went over to EFAA for service, we were asked to do a fairly daunting task. For the last while, we've been removing the pea gravel from the playground in the back. Now, we were being asked to actually disassemble the playground itself. After a while of trying to muscle our way through the screws and bolts, though, we noticed that most of the wood was impossible to salvage, it was just too rotten from the years of use.

It was at that time that we were allowed to use the sledge hammer. Ah, the reckless destruction was absolutely beautiful.

Next up, on Wednesday, we were sent a fairly short list of names from our Ward Mission Leader to check up on. According to him, they were all new names added to the Ward's roster, and he wanted us to go and check up on them. Simple enough, right? Wrong. The first name we were sent after, we ended up driving to the other side of the freeway and drove about a mile up the road to an empty lot. The second name sent us into a labyrinthine neighborhood filled with addresses similar to our address, but not the address itself. And the third address just led us to a house where a non-member couple lived. So, after a while of chasing our tails, we reported our findings to the ward and returned home for the evening.

Thursday, we once more gathered together for our District Meeting for the week. However, this time, Elder Hale decided to do something a little different. Because he was being asked to give the training for the meeting, he decided to bake a large cherry pie and buy some chocolate and vanilla ice cream cups for the District to enjoy during the meeting. Y'know, sort of a peace offering in case he totally botched up the lesson. Well, it turns out that starting off a meeting by announcing, "Hey, I brought ice cream and a pie" isn't really the best way to go. We were so focused on enjoying the pie and the ice cream that we pretty much just ended up turning the meeting into a casual get-together. It was still good, though. We got a lot off of our chests, and find a way together to move forward.

Elder Hale still has to give his training next week, though...heheheh...

Thursday led into Friday, and Friday into Saturday, and with Saturday came the most waited for moment if the week...**_GENERAL CONFERENCE_**! By the time Saturday morning came around, I was hanging-at-the-edge-of-my-seat excited, anyone else felt that way? Not only was it General Conference, but it was going to be a truly memorable and historic Conference as well, as three new apostles were going to be called to serve! In addition to the callings of Elders Rasband, Stevenson, and Renlund, the Conference was able to live up to the expectations of the past, filled to the brim with epic lessons and talks that we will be certain to continue to learn from as time passes by.

I don't know which of the talks I liked most. Perhaps I enjoyed listening to Elder Holland speak of the important mission of mothers, and the importance they have in our lives. Perhaps I was more drawn to President Nelson's talk on the strength of the women of this church, and how they will continue to grow strong as the hardships of life continue against us. Or maybe it was the touching memories that Elder Bednar shared with us as he remembered the last messages his friends and fellow apostles had shared before they left their mortal world. Whatever it was, I know that from all I've learned over Conference weekend, or what I've been reacquainted with, I've got a lot of work ahead of me.

So, before we part today, I ask one question—what did you learn? What message touched your heart? And how are you going to apply the principles you learned into your life? General Conference is a time where we can be chastened and strengthened, a time where we can take ourselves from where we are and grow closer to the men and women our Father desires of us. So, grow! Put your faith in the Lord's servants, and their words. They will not lead us astray, but if we heed their council, we will be forever blessed, and brought closer to that perfect man of God our Father longs for us to become. This I bear personal witness of, in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	65. October 6-12

Good morning, friends, family, age-old-rivals. This is Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting in with another quick update on how life in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission is going for me and my companion, Elder Hale. And, well...do you remember how I mentioned (complained) about the brisk weather of autumn coming in? Well, apparently that brisk weather decided to disappear for a while, because the sweltering heat of summer us back again, and it really doesn't look like it's gonna be gone for a while. Not that I'm complaining or anything...I just find the weather here hilarious. And to think I thought the weather in Utah was bad!

Anyways, on with the week! Now, normally, I'd start the week off by talking about the service we did at EFAA. However, this week, things got switched up. See, late Monday night, we received a call from the Zone Leaders, telling us that we were going to be having a meeting the next morning at eleven o'clock, right when service starts. Apparently, we were finally getting the digital area books! About time! Though, with the meeting coming at such short notice, I'm afraid I was already relating this new missionary tool to negative thoughts and feelings. Looks like we were in for a _great_ meeting the next day.

The meeting met literally all of my expectations from the last-minute call we'd received the night before. After we were all gathered together, and had downloaded the app onto our iPads (aside from Elders Hale and Olson, who are leaving in two weeks, and feel the app to be a waste of time for them), a pair of District Leaders that the Zone Leaders gad called on gave a presentation on how to use the app. It was an incredibly confusing app to learn the longer we went into the meeting, and at one point we all gave each other that plainly said, "isn't this supposed to be _more_ efficient than the paper area books?"

Once our meeting ended, we were then given the task to convert all of the information from our paper area books into the app, with a deadline on this next Tuesday (tomorrow). Unfortunately, Elder Hale and I were unable to make much head-way on the task because that next evening we went in exchanges with our District Leader and his companion, Elders Westrup and Anderson. While Elder Hale stayed in our area with Elder Westrup, I went with Elder Anderson to theirs. Surprisingly, we didn't actually do much, due to service projects and District Meeting, so exchanges ended uneventfully, aside from the several rounds of **Magic: The Gathering** Elder Anderson and I waged against each other Wednesday night.

...hey, that's just what happens when you put two nerds together!

Anyways, the rest of the week passed by unassumingly, and now here we are, on another P-Day, which us looking to be less if a P-Day than I was hoping it'd be. Between finishing the work we have to do in the area book app, to helping our host family with service around their house, today's looking to be more hectic than normal. Oh well, I guess the work never truly comes to a break. Hope to hear from y'all again next week, though! Stay epic, my friends, and gave a great week!

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	66. October 13-19

Hey everyone, guess who's back again? Yep, it's me, the charming, witty, and wonderful Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting in to you live from Erie, Colorado. Sorry this email is coming out later than usual—I promise, I have a reasonable explanation for my lateness. For several of the Elders in our area, this was going to be their last P-Day in the mission, so we decided to have an awesome P-Day and go out for a hike this morning, which we just got back from. The hike was awesome, especially with watching the sunrise in the distance, and as we were coming home, we stopped by a Denny's and grabbed breakfast. So, all in all, a really great way to start P-Day off.

Now, then, on to the week. To start off, let's go back to Tuesday, where we had interviews with the Mission President. It's always very odd, meeting with President Brown, because for the last twenty-four hours before the interview you're pacing around, wondering what he's going to talk to you about. Then, you sit down with him, and the interview is always very casual and friendly. He always offers great advice to help out, and at the end of the meeting we both feel refreshed and ready to handle whatever we need to take care of. Or, at least, that's how it is for me. From how I've heard other missionaries talk about their interviews, it's almost as if the devil himself were interviewing them!

Then, on Thursday, we had an awesome opportunity with service at EFAA. Apparently, a fraternity at the university was getting new dorm furniture, and decided to send over to EFAA the furniture they didn't need anymore. This included four queen-sized bunk beds, about seven desks, five dressers, and a dozen chairs. Luckily, we had extra hands (Elders Westrup and Anderson) to make the work lighter, as we carried the parts for three of the bunk beds up the stairs to one of the apartments that needed more beds, along with four dressers, and the mattresses that came with the bed. It was a really good work out, except when we were nearly getting killed trying to carry the heavy pieces.

Once we were done with that, we actually still had time left over to go to the back of the building and work on the playground. It's pretty much finished now—the old playground is demolished and tossed, and the new playground is up and ready to be enjoyed. On Tuesday, Elder Hale and I were able to lay down the ground cloth for the playground. It was long and tiresome work, but it was well-worth it, and made the work on Thursday much easier, as all we had to do was spread the pea gravel throughout the playground. While the other Elders shoveled the gravel into the wheel barrow and ferried it over to the ground, it was my job to keep it all level and evenly spread. All in all, it was a great day.

So, yeah, that was the week—or at least the high-lights of it—in a rather rough nutshell. Now, before I close up shop for the week, I'd like to leave you all with a quick spiritual thought.

This last Tuesday, before I went into the interview with President Brown, I was waiting in the High Council room, looking at the pictures of the Apostles hanging on the wall. As usual, my mind was just aimlessly wandering, and I couldn't help but think over something one of the new Apostles—Elder Stevenson, I believe—mentioned in his testimony last conference. He mentioned how, after receiving his call to serve as Apostle, he felt, **"a tsunami of indescribable emotion, most of which were feelings of inadequacy,"** and how President Monson comforted him by telling him of his own feelings of inadequacy when he had been called over half a century earlier. He then told Elder Stevenson the simple yet profound truth of this church.

**"The Lord will qualify those whom He calls."**

Throughout our lives, as we serve in this the Lord's church, we may come across callings that we feel we can't fill. I'm in one right now, and yet I still doubt it'll be the hardest calling in my life. At other times, we might see others who accept incredible callings—Bishop, Stake President, General Authority—and wonder why _they_ were given that calling, and not someone else with more knowledge or experience, or someone more popular or well-known. Much to my surprise, I've heard a lot of those opinions recently, the most surprising ones aimed at our newest Apostles. In spite of this, it is important to remember the sacred truth spoken above.

Whether we feel ourselves to be too inadequate to serve in the callings we now have, or we feel others aren't the right person to fill the vacant callings around us, we must always remind ourselves that the Lord qualifies each of us for his work. He knows each of us by name—wouldn't up make sense that he'd know what callings we can serve best in, and which ones we can't? Which ones will be beneficial for us, and which ones will just drag us down? If you believe that the Lord God of Israel truly is the leader if this church, and not Thomas S. Monson, then stop worrying so much about your own shortcomings, and simply trust in the Lord. I know that if we do, we can succeed. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	67. October 20-26

Hey everyone! This is Elder Z. S. Weber with a quick update on life in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission (is it just me, or is that line starting to get really old?). Things have been going well for me here this past week, and honestly, it was a great way to end my seven-and-a-half months serving in the Coal Creek Ward in Boulder, Colorado. That's right! Transfers happen tomorrow, Tuesday, and after nearly eight months service in Erie, I'm moving on to greater and grander places! Now, as to where I'm going and who I'll be with, I'll get to that later. First, I'd like to leave you all with the Spiritual thought of the week.

My companion for these past four-or-so months has been one Elder Joshua Hale. Tonight, he and another Elder in our Zone, Elder Olson, are heading to the mission home, where they'll stay the night, and then board their planes heading home. I'll be honest—I'm gonna miss Elder Hale. He's been an incredible missionary, and a great friend. Like most missionaries I've known, he's had his own quirky moments, but those quirky moments were surrounded with moments if wisdom I'm glad I was able to experience. It's my hope that when he finally does return home, this wisdom he has been blessed with will help him accomplish all he desires from life.

As I've thought about Elder Hale heading home, my thoughts have turned to what will await me for once my mission ends. Certainly, I'll start going to college, hopefully find a girl that I can marry in the temple, start getting my book series published. But one thing I've started thinking about is what calling I'm going to receive once I get home. And perhaps that's the one possibility that gives me the most anxiety for the future. After spending so much time in so many wards, I've seen many different callings, and I'm not certain what one would fit me best—or which one God knows fits me best.

It was then that I came to the understanding that regardless of what calling I receive, one thing will not change. My mission doesn't end once I get off that plane. Oh, sure, real life will set in, but no matter what calling I have, I still have the duty to help spread the gospel, as do all members of the True Church of God. To a point, every member is expected to be a missionary, spreading the gospel in their own ways. It doesn't end with the mission—if anything, the mission is only a stepping stone towards the rest of your life in service of your God, and helping others come unto Him.

Anyways, the Transfer news. I'm heading to Loveland, the Stake I first entered in my mission. I'll be serving in the Marianna Butte Ward...though it took me a while to figure out its Marianna and not Marinara. And as for my companion, I'm serving with one Elder Oaks, and we have a car (thankyouthankyouthankyou!). I don't know much other than that...but that's enough for me! I'm looking forward to these next few months in my new area! Look out Loveland! Elder Z. S. Weber's coming back home!

That's it from me this week! Hope to hear from y'all next week! Stay epic, my friends! Ciao!

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	68. October 27-November 2

Hello my fellow brothers and sisters of the mortal existence! It is I, the great and incredible Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting in to y'all once more with an update on the epic life I'm living as a missionary here in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission! Man, has a lot of things changed since the last time I emailed y'all or what? First of all, I've got a new companion, a new area, and a new Ward that I'm very excited to be working with for the next few months! With so much that's changed, and so much to tell, I guess it's best I just start from the beginning of this week and work my way to today. So, without further ado, here we go!

This week began with me heading out to my new area, the Marianna Butte Ward in Loveland, Colorado—a fairly simple trip from my old area of Erie, Colorado. At least, that's what I thought it'd be, after hearing from the Zone Leaders that I was going to be traveling to my new area via the Transfer Van. So, I boarded the van at the Longmont Stake Center with the other missionaries that were heading on to new areas, and got dropped off at the Windsor Building, where I assumed I would wait until my companion came to pick me up. That was why it came as such a great surprise to me that, apparently, my new companion had been told to go pick me up at the Longmont Stake Center, the very building I had just left when I'd boarded the Transfer Van!

After an extra hour of finding a way back down to Longmont to retrieve my companion, I finally got the chance to meet Elder Kendall Oaks, my sixth companion since I started serving in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. Elder Oaks, who was originally serving in the Montana Billings Mission until the big mission change back in April, is a very calm and friendly Elder from San Diego, California—an odd coincidence, because it just so happens that I was born in San Diego, California, just over nineteen years ago. Not only that, but Elder Oaks happens to also be a major **Magic: The Gathering** player, is a fairly skilled musician, and a very active and eager missionary, happy to do the work he was sent to do. Already, I knew we were going to get along just fine.

The first few days in the Marianna Butte Ward were a little rough on me, as they usually are for any young missionary in the mission field. I was unfamiliar with the streets, the people, and the way the work was handled in the area. However, the usual anxiety that comes with this lack of knowledge quickly swept away as Elder Oaks and I put our hands to work. Between service at the local food bank and thrift shop, to the Ward Trunk-or-Treat and other activities held over the past week, I was able to quickly fall into my proper place in my new home-away-from-home. The Marianna Butte Ward, and the part of Loveland it resides in, is a wonderful place, filled with kind and friendly people...though not all are so willing to listen to the words we have to say...

Still, the work pushes onward, and I couldn't be happier serving where I am now. I'm glad to be doing the Lord's work, and doing whatever I can to bring my fellow brothers and sisters closer to Christ—which just so happens to bring me to the Spiritual Thought!

This past week, I've spent a large amount of my time reading in the Book of Alma in the Book of Mormon—specifically, in the portion of the book known to most members of the Church as the War Chapters. While reading about the different conflicts waged between the Nephites, the Lamanites, and the Nephite dissenters, I came across a passage of scripture that I felt impressed to share with y'all today. Speaking of Captain Moroni, the chief captain or general of the Nephite armies, the ancient prophet Mormon said;

**"And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery;**

**Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people.**

**Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood...**

**Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men."** (Alma 48:11-13, 17)

Try to stop and imagine that right there. If every person on earth were like Moroni—if everyone was firm in the faith of Christ, and followed after Him as closely as they could in their lives—the very powers of Hell would've been shaken forever, and the Adversary would have no power over us. We would be a people that could stand up against the trials and temptations around us, and never falter, because of the faith we would have in Christ, the Son of the Living God.

This promise that Mormon gives us stands true even now. If we turn our whole hearts to Christ, and seek to follow him in faith, we can have the strength and the power to overcome every temptation or trial the Adversary dares to send our way. Now, don't take this lightly. It takes a lot of work to get to that point of total dedication to God. Even as a missionary, who is expected to keep his mind solely focused on the work, my mind still betrays me every once and again by thinking of things I could be doing back home. So, for now I won't ask y'all to completely focus on Christ-like life. All I ask is this.

Take a look at your lives now. See where your personal worthiness with God stands right now. Could you use some work? Sure, we all do. So find out what part of your personal worthiness you're lacking in—personal studies, personal prayer, virtuous thoughts, clean language, whatever—and improve on it. If you feel you're doing pretty good where you're at, then great! Now push yourself further. God doesn't expect us to be completely perfect during our mortal existence...but He does expect us to try to get as close as we can. As we do, we'll find that our lives will be even greater filled with happiness and light, so much so that we'll practically be overwhelmed by the level of love our Father feels for us each and every day.

This promise I give unto each of you, in the name of our Lord and Master, even Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	69. November 3-9

Good Morning Universe and all that inhabit it! This is your favorite Elder from the Colorado Fort Collins Mission, the funny and charismatic Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting in once again with a quick update on life in the Mariana Butte Ward. But before I get to my dealings this past week, I feel I should apologize for last week's summary—or rather, lack thereof. After I got through describing my new companion, Elder Oaks, I sort of just speedily summarized the rest of the week into a quick paragraph and then rushed into the Spiritual Thought. So, this week, I'm happy to declare that I've got some actual details for this week's update. I hope you enjoy every moment and message I have to share. With that now said, let's go!

This week started out pretty rough for me, as late Tuesday evening I came down with a rough bout of nausea that forced us to go home early. Luckily, after receiving a blessing from Elder Oaks and laying down to rest, I woke up the next morning ready to get to work, and get to work we did. Wednesday started off with a Zone Meeting with the other missionaries in our Zone. It was, by far, the most interesting Zone Meeting I'd ever had on my mission, because there were a lot of testimonies given, and several more trainings than what we would normally have. Perhaps one of the most profound messages was given by this Elder Hancock, who bore a powerful message on the importance of continually keeping the commandments of God and not straying from the path beside the iron rod.

However, because of the depth of the testimonies and the powerful presence of the Spirit, we ended up going over by about an hour than what we'd been planning with the meeting, so we had to rush straight off to service the moment the closing prayer was given. As we went to work after the meeting, I couldn't help but notice that Elder Oaks was visibly irritated, obviously because of how late the meeting had run. I tried to find a way that I could help alleviate his anger, but finding none, I just hoped that something would happen that would distract him from his frustrations. As it so happened, Heavenly Father was able to give me a hand there, as we had a wonderful chance to teach this woman named Carolyn about the Plan of Salvation and the purpose of the temple. The spirit was powerful, and afterwords, both Elder Oaks and I were just broad grins, all thoughts of the meeting lost in the past.

Thursday was also another awesome day, as we had another wonderful chance to do service. This time, it was at the local thrift shop, called the ARC. Our duties at ARC are very simple—we put clothes out on the racks and keep the clothing area of the store nice and organized. It can be really rough sometimes—last week especially, with all of the people coming in last-minute for a cheap Halloween costume—but it's actually a really nice experience, one that I really enjoy. Though, I will say that it never ceases to amaze me what you can find in those thrift shops. Some of these clothes are practically brand-new from the store! They aren't out of fashion, either, which is what really has my head spinning. Anyways, it was a great way to spend the afternoon, just helping people out and doing some very simple service.

Not much happened on Friday, besides a few meetings with some of the members in the area and some further digitizing of our area book records onto our iPads, so we'll be moving on to Saturday! Initially, not much happened on Saturday, at least for the large bulk of the day. However, come evening, that changed greatly. Come evening, we had the happy opportunity to teach the recent convert in the area, one Richard, right after we had dinner. The lesson—or rather, the follow-up lesson—was on the Plan of Salvation, a topic that I happen to know a lot about...perhaps too much about...Nevertheless, the lesson went great, and we were able to leave the house with a great feeling in our hearts. Even better, Richard's friend and fellowshipper, Sister De Giulio (Dee-Jew-Lee-Oh), had her less-active son over as well, and he seemed to be listening in on most of the lesson!

So, yeah, this last week was great! It's been a long time since I've had a week this good—far too long, if you ask me. Now, with our weekly summary done with, I think it's time we get to our Spiritual Message of the week!

This week's topic comes from the Zone Meeting we had back on Wednesday. Towards the end of the meeting, one of the Elders that was going home at the end of this transfer, Elder Torres, was asked to give his testimony. His testimony was directed towards being someone's hero—the person to introduce them to the gospel, or to lead them into the waters of baptism. At the end of his testimony, he showed a short clip from the movie, The Other Side of Heaven (if you've never seen it, I highly recommend it. It's a great movie). The clip showed Elder Grober and his companion walking down the beach, and Elder Grober asked his companion why he has so much faith in him. His companion gave a stunning and powerful testimony about his faith in the church, of his conversion story, and how he knew Elder Grober's message he has to share is true and powerful.

As part of this elder's testimony, he shared a story of some of the first missionaries from the restored church leaving their families behind as they left for a mission in England. Though they were sick with fever as they left, still they soldiered on, proud to go about serving their brothers and sisters. To them, the sacrifices they were making were small in comparison to the work they were being given the happy occasion to fulfill. As they rode off, they stood in their wagon, looked back at their families, and proudly cried out with voiced like angels, "Hurrah for Israel! Hurrah for Israel! Hurrah for Israel!"

That same cheer that those missionaries declared is the one I echo now in my message today, geared towards all those who have been called to serve—in missions, in callings, or in family. In other words, everyone. It is expected of us to sacrifice much for the Lord, and indeed for others. Dreams and visions we have for the future must be put on hold, or completely set aside, so that the work our Lord has for us can be accomplished today. Yet, there is still cause to rejoice and raise our voices in praise. We are doing a marvelous work in our day. We are building the Kingdom of the Lord where we stand now. Be not weary of the sacrifices we have given—for the blessings our Lord has in store for us for serving Him, and serving our fellow men, will more than make up for it.

Some might say that this is simply wishful thinking, that the sacrifices in our lives are meaningless, and have no true weight or value. In truth, they would say that we are wasting our lives in our service to our God. But these beliefs are false. I bear solemn witness that the sacrifices we make as members of the Church of Jesus Christ o Latter-day Saints—as servants of the One True God—are not simply wastes of our time, nor are our beliefs that our blessings out-weigh our sacrifices unfounded or foolish. I know from experience that when we give our whole selves over to the Lord and let Him lead, He can do far more great things with us, and make much grander beings out of us, than we could on our own. This I bear proud witness of, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	70. November 10-16

Hey everyone! It's-a me, Elder Z. S. Weber, sending out another epic weekly email on how my life in the mission is going. And, well, things are going okay, aside from me and Elder Oaks being completely ticked off with the weather. If you're thinking about what weather app you should get for your newest digital device, let me give you some advice. Whatever you choose, _**do not go with Yahoo weather!**_ It's crazy, but it seems like every other hour, it has a different guess as to what the weather is gonna be. This last week, it said we were gonna have a big storm come through, drop about a foot of snow, get down to below freezing all week. Well, we did get snow...a half inch of it that melted before the sun even finished rising! And that's just one of the many weather predictions it botched up!

So, yeah...that was my rant on weather apps...anyways...

This week was pretty different, all things considered. So, this week started off with Tuesday. This Tuesday was going to be fairly special, because we had planned to go out on Exchanges with our District Leader and his companion. I say 'had planned' because at about three in the afternoon, we got a call from the District Leader saying that that Exchanges were being cancelled. Apparently, he wasn't feeling well (out of respect, I will not go into any specifics, including his name), and after getting checked out, his condition was deemed bad enough for him to need to go home. So, that meant we'd be without a District Leader. The Lakeside District was District Leaderless. Talk about scary situations.

Now, the reason why the situation was so scary, at least for us elders, is because we know that there aren't any extra elders just sitting around, waiting for a calling to be vacant so they can swoop in and fill it. Which would mean the title of District Leader would fall onto one of our shoulders. And as the elder with the least leadership experience in the group, I was pretty much betting that just for the heck of it, they'd give the mantle to me. (cue sarcastic 'yaaay') Thankfully, that was not what happened. Rather than suffer from the struggle of assigning a new District Leader, President Brown dissolved the Lakeside District, and Elder Oaks and I became members of the Berthoud District.

Because of the reassignment, Elder Oaks and I had our District Meeting the very next day. After a brief introduction to everyone there, we were able to enjoy a nice District Meeting that I quite honestly can't really remember anymore. But, it was a good one, that much I do know. Right after District Meeting, though, we headed back home, got changed, and went to work at our newest service project. Called Hearts and Horses, it's a fairly small organization situated right beside our host family's house. Basically a horse boarding and training ground, our duties lie mostly in being the extra muscle they need to keep the place looking nice—sweeping the dirt off of the walks, taking care of the garbage, and other basic duties. All in all, it's looking to be a nice service opportunity for us!

So, that was our Wednesday from this week. Thursday, as well, was very interesting. This last Sunday, we decided to plan to go on splits this last Thursday, with some of the Melchizedek Priesthood holders in our Ward. Well, Thursday evening comes rolling around, we've got a short list of names of people to look up and visit, and pretty much no one shows up. Really, it was just us, Elder Oaks and me, and our Ward Mission Leader, Brother Thorpe. So, with the three of us, we decided to drive out and meet some of the less active members of our Ward we had yet to meet. The very first house very much set the mood of our visits for the evening, though, as the man there just popped his head out, scowled, and pretty much just shouted at us to leave and never come back (as well as several other crass and crude words I'd rather not mention).

So, after several other meetings similar to the one above mentioned, we decided to just go to the local Dairy Queen, grab a treat, and have Ward Mission Correlation Meeting. Not that bad way to end the day, all things considered.

However, throughout all of the craziness throughout the week, perhaps the best send-off for my week came on Sunday. This past Sunday, yesterday, was Ward Conference, where members that serve on the Stake Level come to minister to the members in our Ward. Because these members can come from several different awards in the stake, I wondered if I'd recognize anyone from my first area, Fossil Creek, among them, though I highly doubted they'd remember me. After all, I was always the quiet one in the companionships I was a part of in my first area. I was still pretty shy and reserved when it came to discussions, so I doubted I'd left much of an impression.

Boy, was I wrong. I recognized at least four different Fossil Creek Ward members there during the Ward Conference—President Crane, the Stake President; Sister Baer, whose house I went to for Christmas last year; Brother Adams, who lived across the road from my first host family, the Houses; and Brother VanTassel, whose family fed the missionaries just about every other week. Much to my great surprise, every one of them could clearly remember me! Brother VanTassel even said that some of his kids had been asking about me and Elder Proffit, my trainer, to know how we were doing! It all just blew me away, and brought tears of joy to my eyes.

Which just so happens to bring me to the message of the week.

To most of you reading these emails, I probably sound like a very confident and charismatic elder, someone who always manages to smile even the metaphorical sun if missionary work isn't shining. The truth is, I'm just as susceptible to depression and discouragement as the next young man, perhaps even more so. I'm very self-conscious, and I worry about the impressions I leave with people. It doesn't help, either, that every Ward I serve in, there're stories of 'Legendary Elders'. You know, elders who always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, were loved by the entire Ward, and served to the very limits of their physical, mental, and emotional capacities. Against that, how was I supposed to measure up?

Yet here I was, almost a full year after leaving my first area, and the people there were able to recognize me, recall my name, and welcome me with open arms! I didn't do anything special to earn their affection, certainly not something to make my memory last even for a year. All I did was the best that I could do, which I considered to be not that much, and learn to love being a missionary. And that is what I've come to a realization this week. You truly never know what impact you have on the lives of those you've met until you turn back and look. Oh, I'm not certain for how long my memory will last with those that I've taught or served beside. Perhaps I'll live another year in their memories. Perhaps I'll last a lifetime. But one thing I know for certain is that when you do your best, and serve with all your might, you leave an impression.

In the name if the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	71. November 17-23

Hello and aloha, my dear family, friends, and extended acquaintances! It is I, the great and impressive Elder Z. S. Weber, back from another long and laborious week of work, and ready to start a new one off right, here in the Mariana Butte Ward, the Loveland Stake, the Colorado Fort Collins Mission! To start off, things have been going alright here for me and Elder Oaks. We've had a few vicious bouts with the weather (just when I though Nebraska was the windiest state I'd serve in), but other than that we're doing well. The work is slow, and incredibly hard, but it's well worth any amount of trouble. I'm glad to be out here.

Okay! Enough with the sappy beginning! On to the week-summary!

So, this week started off like a bullet shot from a sniper rifle. Some of you might remember that every once in a while on my mission, I've gone on Exchanges with the District Leader or his companion. Well, that's how we started the week off—with Exchanges with our District Leader, Elder Hancock. Now, in most Exchanges cases, the senior companion in a companionship and the District Leader swap companions for the day. However, because Elder Hancock is in a tripan (three elders instead of two) he was able to leave his area with his companions, and come be a part of a temporary tripanionship in our area.

How'd that go for us? Absolutely great! After doing service at the ARC thrift store, we headed out for dinner, and then made our rounds throughout the Ward. Elder Hancock really wanted to stop by some members that had recently merged into the Mariana Butte Ward. One of the members just so happened to be the very same one that shouted at us last week to leave him and his family alone. Needless to say, we made certain to give that house quite the distance. However, when we thought the evening wouldn't end well, we decided to stop by a name Elder Hancock thought he recognized. It turned out it was the mother of a former companion of his, from back when he was serving in Maine. After sharing a spiritual message for the night, we headed back home, pleased with our work for the day.

Tuesday was quickly followed by Wednesday, with another District Meeting. As part of the District Meeting, Elder Hancock asked all of us to show up in athletic clothes, with a change of proselyting clothes. The message he wanted to share with us was the importance of trust in a companionship, so we started the District Meeting off by playing some relay games in the gym. These included—but we're not limited to—the wheelbarrow race, leap frog, and the trust fall (felt so bad for those missionaries whose companion was almost twice their size...). It was loads of fun, and actually got all if us thinking as to the importance if strength and trust in the companionship.

Thursday was an interesting day, as for the first time in a long time, we had appointments that completely filled out our time for the day. Usually, we have a couple of hours at the end of the night where everything is dead, and there's very little to do. However, this week, we got a call from one David, who was an inactive member hoping on returning to activity, and wanted to take the lessons. So we set an appointment with him, got all set up to teach a lesson. We visited the other less active members we had set up for appointments that evening, and then swung by his place to end our day on a high note!

...he wasn't home. So, we're working on getting in touch with him, and getting a new appointment later this week!

Finally, this week really came to a close on Friday. The day had been filled with rough times—rejections at the doors, many rude less actives, and very exhausting hours of nothingness. Luckily, we were able to end the night fairly nicely, as we were able to go to an Elders Quorum social at the church. The Elders brought ice cream, fixings, and several different games to pass the time by. Now, I know it's not as satisfying a way to end the week as, say, teaching an investigator and getting them lined up for baptism...but chocolate ice cream and a few games of Uno and Spoons can at least come close!

Anyways, on to my spiritual message for the week! Remember earlier, how I said for District Meeting, we did a lot of trust-based activities done to show the importance of trust in a companionship? Well, there was one companionship that was clearly divided. One had followed the District Leader's counsel, and came in athletic clothes. His companion, however, had chosen to be strict about the White Handbook rules, and came to the activity dressed in a suit. His companion was eager to do the activities, but he simply sat back, saying, 'object lessons in District Meeting are stupid, and I'm not going to be a part of it'.

Luckily, the District Leader was able to help the companion that wanted to join the activity, and served as his temporary companion. However, the exchange between the two companions stayed with me. In a companionship, unity is one if the most important principles. A house divided upon itself shall not stand, and neither can a companionship. If one companion wants to go out tracting—because he wants to be obedient, even though he knows it's hard work—and the other doesn't want to do anything, it will cause a divide in the companionship. They'll start to argue, and before you know it, the work is at a standstill, because the two cannot work together.

This doesn't just apply to missionary work, though. All our lives, we are going to have to work with or be around other people. We can't do everything on our own, and we're gonna need help. Fortunately, I was blessed with loving parents who understood the importance of unity in marriage, and (from my point if view) always stood united in their actions. They might've disagreed in some places or some points, but in spite of that, they worked past their issues, learned to look at the bigger picture, and—together!—decided on a path that would best benefit the both of them, or their children.

That is the type of unity we all should seek for in life. We might not be able to get along with everyone we meet, but we can at least work together in unity, putting our personal views to the side. If we learn to do that, we can find this world to be a much more peaceful one to live in. This is my personal prayer, in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	72. Thanksgiving 2015

Happy Thanksgiving, Universe!

I might be a few days late, but at least I got to say it! Anyways, hello friends, family, and beloved comrades in the battle we call life. 'Tis I once more, the great and hilarious elder from South Jordan, Elder Z. S. Weber, here reporting in once again on a wonderful week spent out here in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. Now, normally, I go through every day of the week (or at least most of them) and explain the wonderful and fantastic things that happened over the course of the past seven days. But, to be completely honest, this week was mostly a blur. I mean, you know how it is with weeks that have holidays right in the middle of them! It just seems as though all days preceding the event are a mixed blur of colors that you can't quite clearly remember.

So, rather than struggle to remember what we actually did over the past week, I've decided to just skip straight ahead to Thanksgiving morning, and spend the bulk of my email there. Here we go!

So, Thanksgiving morning was honestly one of the greatest mornings on my mission so far. The first reason was because we were invited to have breakfast at the Taysoms, a senior missionary couple that serves in the Mission Office, and breakfast was going to be pie! So, we quickly got dressed and headed out to go when we saw the second reason that morning was so great. It snowed! Finally! I can't recall all the number of times Yahoo and other weather services had predicted snow and had been wrong, but there were a lot of them. To see the white fluffy coldness all across the yard and driveway, even while knowing we'd eventually have to shovel it clear, brought a familiar happiness to my heart.

After we scraped the ice off of the car and eased our way out of the snow-covered drive, we quickly made our way over to the Taysoms, at about the same time that the Zone Leaders, Elders Shawcroft and Lete (Leh-tay), got there. While we waited for the other Elders to show up, we decided to give the Taysom's son and grandson, who were over for the holiday, a hand in shoveling their drive-and-walkways. Elder Oaks also lent a helping hand in getting their Christmas tree up and spruced up (heh, get it, spruced! 'Cause it's an artificial pine tree, and spruce is a pine tree, and...yeah). After the lights were all strung up and the drive was clear, a few more companionships (Elders Hancock, Lester, and Murphy from Big Thompson, and Elders McMillan and Thompson from Longview) showed up, and it was finally time for breakfast.

Oh my gosh! There were so many different types of pies out! There was Razzleberry (I practically dove to claim that one), Pumpkin, Apple, Lemon Meringue, something delicious made of coconut milk and chocolate! It was awesome! After everyone was done with their pies (I had about four slices...bad decision), Sister Taysom asked us if we thought we had time for a game. Seeing as none of our dinners started until about noon that day, and there was no way you'd be able to get any of us to work in that frozen wasteland outside, we quickly cleared the table and started an interesting Domino game called Mexican Train.

Mexican Train is a lot like Chicken Foot, if you've played that, where in the center of the table you place a double Domino (six-six, five-five, zero-zero), and you play off of it. Each player had their own chain of Dominos they played off of, and there was a separate chain of Dominos called the Community Train, which anyone could play on. If you couldn't play on your chain or the Community Train, then you had to put this little plastic train on your train chain, which wouldn't come off until you could play on your chain. If you had a train on your chain, others could play on that chain as though it was the Community Train chain. The first person to use up all of their Dominos was the winner. I know, very confusing to explain in writing, but it was a lot of fun, and we played quite a few rounds of it (probably around ten or twelve...they were fast-paced rounds, though, so...).

After we were done with our last round of Mexican Train, we all decided it was probably a good idea for us to get back out into the snow once more and get on with the day. Bidding the Taysoms and fair farewell, Elder Oaks and I got into our car and drove off to our dinner, which was only a five-minute drive from their home. While most of the other missionaries had several dinners throughout the day (some had six!), we had only the one. But, with pie for breakfast, and a long day of shoveling our member's mile-long driveway awaiting us, having just the one dinner was fine by me. And it definitely was great. We had dinner with the Harris', an older couple that had served as a senior couple in the Mission Office when I first came out into the mission. The dinner was wonderful, a very classic Thanksgiving dinner with chicken and stuffing and yams and mashed potatoes...it was great.

...Well...mostly great.

As we were finishing our dinner and began sharing our Thanksgiving message with the Harris', I was suddenly overcome by this terrible stomach-flipping feeling in the pit of my stomach. Most likely, I just over-ate, and ate way too much in a short amount of time. Whatever it was, though, it was incredibly troublesome. Once we got home, Elder Oaks told me to just lie down and get some rest. I would've fought him on the subject, saying that he needed help shoveling the driveway, but my stomach spoke louder than my mind, and so for the rest of the day I pretty much just laid out on the couch and waited for my stomach to settle. Thankfully it did, and so the rest of the night was spent at the home, studying and playing the board games our members had lent us.

So, yeah, that was my Thanksgiving this year. Pretty awesome, if you ignore the whole eating-so-much-I-got-sick part. But, yeah, this year's Thanksgiving was great. Plus, with that time at the end of the day, I was able to get some good studying in, which means I've got a great Spiritual Message today! Hope y'all like it!

Recently when I've been doing my studies, I've been reading General Conferences from the last few years. Something surprising to me is that a lot of the brethren speak about being 'grateful in our circumstances'. In the Doctrine and Covenants (as well as other bodies of scripture), we are asked to **"thank the Lord (our) God in all things"** (Doctrine and Covenants 59:7). In the Book of Alma, Alma the Younger counsels his son Helaman to **"let thy heart be full of thanks unto God" **(Alma 37:37). These prophetic counsels from the ancient prophets are echoed to us in our day, yet the desire to be filled with thanksgiving unto the Lord is hard to find. Many of us face trials in our lives that are hard and burdensome. This world is a hard and burdensome world to live in, and as such, it can be hard to see what we have to be thankful for.

May I share a story with you of how we can be continually thankful? The story is one you all know well (if you're members, that is). It is the story of Nephi and his family traveling across the seas to the land of promise. After they had been sailing for a while, Nephi writes, **"behold, my brethren and the sons of Ishmael and also their wives began to make themselves merry, insomuch that they began to dance, and to sing, and to speak with much rudeness, yea, even that they did forget by what power they had been brought thither; yea, they were lifted up unto exceeding rudeness.**

**And I, Nephi, began to fear exceedingly lest the Lord should be angry with us, and smite us because of our iniquity, that we should be swallowed up in the depths of the sea; wherefore, I, Nephi, began to speak to them with much soberness; but behold they were angry with me, saying: We will not that our younger brother shall be a ruler over us.**

**And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel did take me and bind me with cords, and they did treat me with much harshness; nevertheless, the Lord did suffer it that he might show forth his power, unto the fulfilling of his word which he had spoken concerning the wicked.**

**And it came to pass that after they had bound me insomuch that I could not move, the compass, which had been prepared of the Lord, did cease to work." **(1 Nephi 18:9-12)

Now, here I will break for a moment. Keep in mind all that Nephi has done for his family, as according to what the Lord has commanded him. He reclaimed the Brass Plates from Laban. He made a bow of wood and went hunting to save his family from starvation. He built the boat that they were currently using to sail to the Promised Land. And yet after all of this, his brothers continue to scorn him, even to the point of binding him to the mast of the ship.

Most of you should know how the rest of this story goes. Because of his brothers' selfishness and stubbornness, even their binding of their younger brother—in short, because of their wickedness—the Liahona stops working. A storm rises, tossing the ship to and fro for four days. Finally, on the fourth day, Laman and Lemuel repent of their actions and free Nephi, who helps them sail through the storm to safety. Now, what stands out the most to me in this story is the attitude of Nephi, who says, regarding the whole event, **"I did look unto my God, and I did praise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions."** (1 Nephi 18:16)

Throughout that entire experience, Nephi didn't murmur once. He didn't even pause to wonder, "God, why must I suffer this?" He didn't say anything like that. Instead, he praised God. He knew in his heart that all would be right. He was able to look past the terrible conditions he was in, and praise and thank the Lord. Even in his terrible conditions, he was able to see the blessings the Lord had previously given him, and continued to give him. He was able to take a step back and say, "I understand, Father. This is a moment for me to prove myself to you. Thank you for trusting me that I can overcome this."

This is the counsel I give us all, including myself as I know I still need to work on this. If we only take the time to look past our trials and see the blessing of God around us, we can find our lives filled with happiness. You can start small if you need to. You have families that love you, friends to support you. You have the love of the most supreme and powerful being in existence to strengthen you. You truly are blessed. Be of good cheer, and praise the Lord, for his goodness surrounds all of us. There is much to be grateful for in our lives, regardless of our situations. We just have to open our eyes to it. This I say in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	73. December 1-7

Happy Holidays, everyone! This is your handsome and hilarious host from the Colorado Fort Collins Mission, Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting in with another (hopefully) quick email on how life is going in the mission field. But before I get to that, may I just say—dang, December is already here? Just what the heck happened to 2015?! I mean, seriously, I don't know about you, but for me this past year has just flown by! Wasn't it just yesterday, the New Years Ball was dropped in Times Square and 2014 ended, and now all of a sudden we're here at the end of the first week in December?! Now, I realize that as a missionary, time goes by at light-speed, but still! Where did the time go to?!

Not only is this the end if the first week of December, but this is also the end of Transfers. Yeah, that's right, we're there again! Time for the big mission-wide switcheroo! Now, this Transfer brings with it a lot of big changes, a lot of new trials and blessings...but before we get to the harrowing news, let's get to the overview for the week! I promise, it'll be quick this time (most likely not).

So, not much if significance happened this week until we got to Wednesday. I'm sorry, but I just don't remember anything really going on on Tuesday. Wednesday, however, is a completely different story. As it was to be the last District Meeting of the Transfer, the Zone Leaders decided to make it one large Zone Meeting with all of the Districts in the Zone and end it with a nice lunch in the gym. The meeting was actually really great—Elder Torres gave a powerful message on the principle of sacrifice on a mission. This was going to be his last training on the mission, so he wanted to leave a powerful witness on the importance of sacrificing our whole selves to the Lord's work. While I wont go into great detail on his message, I will say that it was truly incredible.

Then, afterwords, we had the Zone Lunch, which was a large roast-brisket-thing, potato salad, and fries that Elder Torres cooked up for us. Along with the meal, we had some awesome entertainment as well, as our roast came with a Roast—y'know, where you're able to give an honest opinion to the entire audience on a victim of your choice. The victims were the leaders of our area—Elder Torres, the Trilby District Leader, Elder Hancock, the Berthoud District Leader, and Elders Shawcroft and Lete, the Zone Leaders. From what I could remember, there was an impersonation of Elder Hancock's attempts to get in a house tracting (regardless of how uninterested the person might be), an impressive roast on how Elder Lete speaks with a monotone/apostolic voice, and an imitation of the various types of snores Elder Torres goes through at night.

It got to the point where we were laughing so hard, some of us (mainly me) seemed to have forgotten how to breathe. All-in-all, it was a great final Meeting, from the lunch, to the final testimonies of the departing missionaries, to their subsequent death-by-lightsaber at the end of the lunch (you'd have to be there to understand).

This led on to Thursday, where Elder Oaks and I went on another Exchange with Elder Hancock. We had been struggling in our area with finding people, and as such he had taken it upon himself to work with us in our area, and help us out with finding. And, I'll admit, he was a great help. There's just something about Elder Hancock, and other men like him, who hold themselves with such confidence, it makes you believe you can stand strong too. Besides, after a few doors getting slammed in your face, and hearing the interesting excuses given, you loosen up and just have fun with it. However, we weren't able to actually find anyone, so we ended up going home empty-handed. Still, we went home happy, glad we were able to do the Lord's work.

The week finally came to an end on Saturday, which was mainly spent flying through the day as fast as possible so that we could get to the Transfer Doctrine. So, with that said, I believe it's time we got to the Transfer News. After six weeks with Elder Oaks, he and I are parting ways. Elder Oaks is moving on to Laramie, Wyoming, where he may be for the rest of his mission. I am staying here in Mariana Butte, and getting one Elder Neville (neh-**Vill**, not **Neh**-vill) as my companion, which means I'm FINALLY SENIOR COMPANION! The Lakeside District, which was dissolved with the early departure of the District Leader a few weeks back, will be the District I'm in, with Elder Thompson as District Leader. Elders Blaylock and Torres are going home, and Elder Shawcroft is moving on to be a Zone Leader in Cheyenne.

So, that's what's gonna be happening starting tomorrow. A lot of big changes, all around. New District Leaders, new Zone Leaders, new companions. While I'm sad this Transfer went by so quickly, I'm honestly happy and excited to make this next one even better! It's time for another great and epic adventure! Come, Elder Neville, let's follow that trail! The Trail We Blaze!

...I know, bad choice for a movie reference, but...

So, with all of that said and done, I believe it's time for this week's Spiritual Thought. I know, usually on Transfer weeks, I don't have a Spiritual Thought, because of how busy we are. But, with all that happened this week, I feel the Spiritual Thought I've got right now can't wait. So, here we go!

For the last few weeks, I've been struggling with finding the desire to go out and do the work. It was easier to go out when I was on Exchanges with Elder Hancock, but that was because he made it fun, and less like work. But without companions that can make the work more light-hearted and fun, it's hard to find the resolve to go out and serve. It was while I was labor in under the depression caused by my lacking desire to do this work that I came across a scripture that I was very familiar with already—1 Nephi 3:7. Many of you can repeat the scripture from memory, and so you recall what Nephi says in that verse;** "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."**

Stop and think about what Nephi is saying here. He has just been asked by his father—and through his father, God—to return to Jerusalem and reclaim the Brass Plates from Laban, a man Nephi already knows to be a wicked and evil man, cold and ruthless. If he goes, there is a very good chance he will die in the process. Nevertheless, Nephi found faith in the promises his Savior had given him so long as he was faithful to the commandments given. He knew the risk of going to Jerusalem, but he trusted that his God would stand stand with him and help him through it. Eventually, after several failed attempts, Nephi succeeded in reclaiming the Brass Plates, and fulfilled the commandment given him.

There are two points I'd like to draw from this story. First, often times in our lives, we are given trials that we struggle with. Some of us, like Laman and Lemuel, will complain and claim the trial set before us is too hard, impossible to overcome. It is our purpose, however, to change our manner of thinking from that if a Laman to that of a Nephi. No matter what obstacle stands in our path, if we put our faith in the Lord, we will not fail. He will never let us fail. He wants us to succeed. So long as we put our faith in the Lord, we will overcome our personal Labans, and succeed in the missions the Lord has given us.

My second point is this. Sometimes the commandment given isn't just to fulfill the commandment. Sometimes, it is to help us grow in ways we never knew we could. Remember the story of Nephi and Laban. In order to finally reclaim the plates, Nephi needed to slay Laban. It was by slaying him, and taking on himself the armor of Laban, that Nephi was able to trick Zoram, the servant of Laban, into unlocking the treasury where the plates were held. Now, let me be clear. I am not saying it's okay to kill—that's not the message Nephi, or I, is trying to get across. The message Nephi is trying to tell us is that sometimes we need to make sacrifices in order to grow.

Nephi, as the scriptures say, **"[shrank] and would that [he] might not slay him."** (1 Nephi 4:10) Yet, when the Lord explained His purposes to Nephi, the young man found the courage to slay Laban. In that moment, he realized just how far he was willing to obey his Savior and Lord. In that moment, the prophet Nephi—the man that would speak with angels, craft the great vessel to sail to the promised land, and lead his family safely into the wilderness, away from his traitorous brothers—was born.

We all have moments in our lives when we will be tested and tried. These moments are not simply moments where we obey God—it isn't simply about obeying his commandments. All that God does, and all He ever has done, has been for our benefit. Whenever we are given a trial that makes us stretch ourselves, it is Him giving us a chance to grow and see just who and what we truly can be. Be courageous, therefore, and stand strong against the fierce winds that buffet ye, for it is in these moments if trial and error, moments of trouble and inner turmoil, that our own Nephis, our own Lehis, our Alma's and our Ammons and our Amuleks; indeed, our own heroes are born. May we like Nephi proudly say, "I will go and do," in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	74. December 8-14

Good Morning America! (Does this still count as the morning? Well, whatever, I'm just gonna roll with it) 'Tis I, the great and noble Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting in to you live from the Mariana Butte Ward in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. This week, I've got quite some stories to tell, as a lot has happened in the last few days since I last emailed y'all. First of all, just to get it out of the way, I got my new companion, Elder NeVille on Tuesday last week. Elder NeVille is actually an Elder that came out the same time as me, and was actually the missionary that replaced me when I left Nebraska for Boulder several months back. He's a great elder, fun-loving yet serious about the work, so I'm very eager to start working with him. And start working we did.

Tuesday, I'll be honest, not much happened besides getting Elder NeVille. By the time he got down from Casper, Wyoming, most of the day was done. We pretty much spent our day getting him moved into the Andersen's house and then showing him around the area. Wednesday was pretty much the same. We spent the bulk of the day going around and getting our groceries done, as neither of us had any food for the week ahead. Once we were done with that, we decided to head over to the library so that we could work on some of our family history and get our media hour for the week in—which, again, we had both missed due to transfers. However, despite the slow start to our week, we took off strong with the work.

Elder NeVille and I crammed as much finding time into our week as possible. When we weren't knocking doors, hitting the pavement, and doing the serious tracting, then we were looking over the member lists for our area, looking people up, and trying to work with the part-member families. We stay out until nine in the evenings, doing real serious work, the kind of work that I'm ashamed to say hasn't been done in a long time. We're working hard with potential investigators in our area, people that are welcoming and willing to listen to us, and we're working our tails off to get more lessons in every evening. It's hard, working like this, but it feels great, too.

On Friday, Elder NeVille and I had our District Meeting. This was our first glance at our new District. We'd lost a lot of missionaries in the last Transfer, so it was interesting to see who was coming in. Apparently we now have both sets of Boyd Lake sisters in our District—English and Spanish speaking sets. So, the meeting was mainly spent with getting to know all of our new members, and then setting realistic goals that we can achieve for this next month. It was really shocking, as we all set goals that were almost double the needed average for each individual District in our Zone. If we actually achieve all of the goals set, we'll have an incredible month for December. Then, after the goals were set, each companionship was divided up and interviewed by the Zone Leaders, just as a way to see how we're all doing with the new Transfer.

The week came to an end on Saturday, when we were invited to come join the Ward in their special Christmas Party. It was a wonderful evening, not just because of the wonderful food served and the fun time spent, but because it was a chance to meet some potential investigators and progressing investigators of ours. We were actually able to talk for a long while with one of these investigators, a young girl named Billie, and were able to set her with a baptismal date of January the 9th. So, here's hoping we can make it through to then! At the end of the evening, the Ward choir stood in the stage and performed a very cool Christmas play called 'Teach the Children', a story where Santa Claus tells a father to teach his children about the true meaning of Christmas—Christ's birth. It was a wonderful performance, and I'm glad to have witnessed it.

And that also happens to leave me with my Spiritual Thought for the week. I've been putting this off for a while now, because I've had other Spiritual Thoughts that I felt were more pressing at the moment, but this week I've got nothing but this.

For the past couple of years, the Church's social media group has come out with some really amazing and inspiring videos on Easter and Christmas, geared towards the Savior and his mission. There has been Because of Him, He is the Gift, and Because He Lives. This Christmas season, they've brought out another amazing video, A Savior Is Born, a message about the Messiah's coming to Jerusalem all those thousands of years ago. But though the message is many thousands of years old, it still rings true for us today. May I share with you the words of the ancient prophet Isaiah, who I believe shares one if the best accounts of Christ's coming.

"**Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign—Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel...For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of government and peace there is no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth, even forever.**" (2 Nephi 17:14; 2 Nephi 19: 6-7)

How great a declaration that is for us today! We live in a world of chaos and confusion. Truth is taken for lie, wickedness is taken for good, and evil reigns supreme in the hearts of men. In this world, people who seek to do good are few in number, and could easily be discouraged by the endless throngs that surround them. But there is no need to feel such discouragement! Why? Because two-thousand years ago, a child was born—a child that would change the world forever. With his birth came the promise that we need never stand alone against the forces of the world. Just as Elisha said in the ancient days, "**they that be with us are more than they that be with them.**" (2 Kings 6:16)

Today, I share my testimony of this message of truth. I know, without a doubt, that Jesus Christ truly was born to save us. He came, and because he came, our weaknesses can become our strengths, our simplicities can make us the great and mighty, and we can be saved from our own imperfections and be raised up into perfection. I bear solemn witness that he did come, and shall soon come again—he that is called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Rejoice greatly, for unto you a Savior us Born! I say this in his holy name, the name if the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	75. December 15-21

Merry Christmas, Universe! This is the ever-impressive Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting in to y'all live from the streets of Loveland, Colorado. We have only four more days before the epicness of stocking-unstuffing and present-unwrapping begins! Are y'all ready for it to go down? This last Friday, I finally got around to mailing out all of my presents for my family, and over the course of the week I got wrapped packages and sealed envelopes from family and friends near and dear to my heart. And speaking of this past week, what a week it has been! From the Christmas Zone Conference Devotional to the Ward Christmas Program, this week has just been one big warm-up to the Christmas chaos to come! So, with that being said—let's go!

The week started off on a fairly slow note, as on Tuesday and Wednesday, Elder NeVille and I went out and attempted to get some new investigators. I say attempted because the entire effort was rather unfruitful. It's odd, because according to President Brown, our mission president, Christmas is the best time of the year to talk to people about Christ. The Spirit of Christ is in the air, everyone is so cheerful and joyful, they're feeling genuine love for their fellowmen. Now that's usually true—but it's only any good to us if people are home. It seems as though every house we've knocked, they're either out of town, or in a very anti-Christmas mood. Which is just wonderful to experience first-hand via knocking on someone's front door.

Luckily, the Lord has this funny way of blessing us with Spiritual highs after we hit rather rough lows. And our Spiritual high came from our Christmas Zone Conference Devotional on Thursday. Now, there are several reasons why I love the Christmas Devotional so much. Like all other Zone Conferences, we get a chance to gain some spiritual knowledge from the Zone Leaders, Assistants to the President, and President Brown. This conference, however, we were blessed to be able to watch a discussion some of the church leaders had for their training before the General Conference back in October. The message being presented was the importance if keeping the Sabbath Day holy, and what advice the leaders could give from their experiences growing up.

Along with the Spiritual nourishment, we also get time to enjoy a nice lunch with all of the other missionaries attending. It's a great moment to reconnect with old friends in the mission—though it's also quite terrifying, as it's a constant reminder of how long out you've been out. I swear, more than half of the missionaries I was trained around are back home enjoying life. The half that aren't home are going home at the end of this Transfer! Realizing something like that can be quite sobering—especially when you see them standing at the podium at the end of the Conference, bearing their testimonies to the Zones in attendance. Some of those Elders were only out about six months when I came out, and they're already saying goodbye! Heck, the sisters that came out with me are saying their farewells!

Ahem...anyways...

The rest of the week went by rather quick, after we got our Spiritual strength rekindled by the Zone Conference. However, though the week was over, we were still able to leave it on a high note. This past Sunday—so, yesterday—was our Ward's Christmas Program. Now, all Sacrament meetings are great in my opinion. I mean, we get a chance to renew the covenants we made at baptism and we get spiritual nourishment! However, the Christmas Program has always been wonderful, because of the wonderful Christmas talks given and beautiful Christmas music that's played. And in a Ward that has a fairly skilled oboist in their ranks (not me...can't play for another seven months), it was certain to be a beautiful program!

And, so that's my week in review. Which means that it's time for the Spiritual Thought. Now, last week, I mentioned something in my letter that bothered me, and others, in how it was presented. I said that those who seek to do good in this world are few. Now, that was an exaggeration—I obviously don't truly believe that Gods children are that outnumbered. If anything, I believe that all people are born being innately drawn to good. It's only after they've experienced the world, and are raised to believe the ways of the world, that they start to seek to do that which they believe is good for themselves, which isn't always in line with the gospel. Still, I believe that most of the world still has a desire to do that which is good.

However, this has got me thinking seriously over the week about views, and points of view, and interests. And with Star Wars: The Force Awakens coming out this past week, something that's come to my mind is spoiler alerts (bear with me here, I'll explain it as I go). I mean, everyone loves reading epic stories and watching awesome movies—Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars. However, whenever a new book in a series comes out, you always have those few people that finish the book faster than others and spoil the ending. To be fair, a lot of the endings were pretty much known from the beginning—Harry kills Voldemort, Frodo and Sam destroy the One Ring, Luke blows up the Death Star. Really, what people are getting upset about is the fact that they can no longer wonder about how the story ends. When they read it, they'll start to see how everything lines up for the ending.

Now, here's the spiritual side of the message. God is a spoiler when it comes to endings. In the Book of Mormon, He told Nephi that his people would dwindle in unbelief and be destroyed _1,000 years before it happened!_ He revealed through Isaiah that his Son, Jesus Christ, would sacrifice himself for all of humanity _800 years before it happened!_ He told Joseph of Egypt that the gospel would be restored through Joseph Smith approximately _4,000 years before it happened!_ So, what is the greatest 'spoiler' God has ever given us? Regarding the war waged between Satan and his followers, and Christ and his followers, this is the ending God has revealed to us _since the beginning of time?_

Good will conquer all.

That's it. That's the summary of the entire war being waged. It doesn't matter what happens in these last days—it doesn't even matter how corrupted Satan will shape the world, because we already know it's going to be worse than it is even now! No matter how bad it gets, God will always win. So here's what I want to get across. If you knew how all of your favorite books and movies ended, would it change the way you approached reading or watching the story? If you knew who would win the Super Bowl, would it change who you root for? We know the ending for our story—so the question remains; whose side are you fighting for? The victorious, godly side, _the one that __**never**__ loses_, or the side the rest of the world is following, the side of the devil, _the side that __**never**__ wins?_

I leave this simple message with you all, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	76. December 22-28

Merry Christmas, one and all, and a Happy New Year too! This is Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting in to y'all from the Mariana Butte Ward in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. We're here again with another quick update on how this past week in the mission field has gone, as well as another inspiring message that I hope will touch the lives of those who read it. And what a week we have to share today! Last Friday was Christmas Day—the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The day before Christmas—Christmas Eve—also marked the beginning of the last full week of 2015, and all the memories that came with it. Not only were these days momentous, but even the days leading up to them were filled with wonderful and hilarious memories.

So, with all that being said—let's get started!

To start the week off, we actually have moved from our humble home at the Andersen's. Because of the holiday season flourishing around us, the Andersen's were going to have their daughter over for Christmas and New Years. And, because most of their entertainment options are in the basement, where we formerly lived, we had to move. After much trouble grappling for a new host family, we finally found a couple that was willing to house us for the holidays—Brother and Sister Demke, a nice couple that are actually working on refurbishing their basement into a missionary dorm. Until then, we're living in their upstairs guest bedrooms, which are very nice and accommodating. Not only that, but it turns out that the Demke's are related to a young family I knew down in the Coal Creek Ward—the Prices! What a coincidence!

Tuesday was also a day we planned to be filled with much hard work and labor in the Lord's vineyard. After finishing our service at Hearts and Horses Ranch (which consisted of moving several large tables from one end of the ranch to the other), we went out and sought out some of the less-active members the Bishop had assigned us for that week. We had some rough time getting around because of how iced up the roads were, but we eagerly went about our task, and then stopped off at the Church to plan out our lesson with Billie (I believe I mentioned Billie in the past), which we finally were going to get around to. Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen circumstances, we had to hold off on the lesson until next week, after the holidays had finished rolling through. Sigh...

Wednesday was an interesting day. Wednesday, we were out doing some of the runs, trying to check in on some of the less active members and try and set up appointments for Christmas Day to fill our time. Well, we decided to head out into the boondocks of the area, back in the less-traveled roads, and ended up on this one road that was covered in ice. Feeling that it was a bad idea to keep going on the road, I drove  
the car up to this turn-around area and made to go back the way we came. As we got out of the turn, however, the wheels lost all traction and we ended up rolling off the side of the road. It's okay, we're alright! We almost hit a tree, and we almost fell into the stream, so we were lucky. We just had to call some other elders to come push our car back onto the road, and we were good to go!

Thursday was a rather bad day for us, though. Sad to say, but both Elder NeVille and I were hit pretty bad by sickness. We think, because we were working on pushing the car out of the snow, he got a cold. As for me, I don't know what happened to me, but I just was bad all day long. However, the sickness left us on Christmas Day, and that was what was important! Christmas this year was great! We had monkey bread for breakfast and watched 17 Miracles with our host family, the Demke's. Then, that afternoon, we got to the highlight of my week—the Christmas Skype home! Oh, it was so wonderful talking with my family again! I got to see their smiling faces, and I got to hear their laughter. It was almost as great as being there in person. Almost.

So, yeah, that was my Christmas! So, now is the time for the message for the week!

...Sadly, I don't have much time here. We've got a lot of things that need to be done today, so I'm going to have to keep this short! My message for all y'all today is very simple. As a missionary, I'm hoping to gain a lot of life experience and growth from my mission. With this being the last week of the year, I've looked back over the past year and thought over the many exciting things that have gone on in my life. I can tell that I've grown a lot from the young man that I was at the beginning of my mission. I stand a little taller, speak a little stronger, and have more confidence in myself and my own  
abilities. So, the message I want to leave you with today is—what have you learned about yourself over this past year? How have you grown from the person you were last year? And how do you want to grow by this time next year?

Sorry it's a bit rushed, I wish I had more time, but I got a lot of things going on, and not a lot of time to do them all! Thanks for all the support you give us missionaries, we really couldn't last out here without you! Stay Epic, My Friends!

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	77. December 29-January 4

Happy New Year, Universe! This is Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting in to you once more from the Mariana Butte Ward in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. Once more, I am here again with my epic copilot Elder NeVille, ready to go over the epicness that came over this past week. However, before we get to that, I'd like to say real quick—where did 2015 go?! I mean, seriously, wasn't just like a few weeks ago that I was sitting here telling y'all about how I would be going to Nebraska to serve with Elder Tapia? Now, twelve months later, here we are! So much has changed. I'm now sixteen-and-a-half months out in the mission, I've had four companions since Elder Tapia, two areas since Nebraska, and years worth of experience crammed into one year. And now, here we are—the year I go home. Crazy it's already here, right?

So, how did our first week into 2016 go?

Well, let's start off with Tuesday, which probably brought with it one of the strangest situations in my missionary life. So, like all Tuesdays here in Mariana Butte, Elder NeVille and I went to do service at Hearts and Horses Stables. Then, after we had finished whatever work they needed us to do for them, we go home, get changed, and start hitting the streets trying to find people. Well, at around five in the evening, we got this call from an unknown number asking if we were the missionaries. Apparently, Bishop Laws' daughter, Lindsey Laws, had come home from her mission on Monday, and was going through what we missionaries call 'the post-mission blues'.

I mean, it makes sense, right? If all you do for two years is knock on people's doors and try to share the gospel with them, your first day free of the responsibility probably feels a bit weird. It was her request, though, that left us feeling a bit...awkward. She asked if she could join us tracting and going to appointments. Now, for those that don't know why this left us awkward, let me explain. For two those two years on the mission, we aren't supposed to be alone with any sisters or single women. So, when she mentioned that she would like to go tracting with us, and had even already found two investigators for us to teach, it left us with a hard decision on how to reply. After a while, we decided to tell her that we'd love to teach her investigators with her, and then referred her to the English-Assigned Sister Missionaries in our Zone.

It ended up turning out the investigators were also Young Single Adult age, so we also missed the chance to teach. Good luck there, Zone Leaders!

Wednesday came next, and Wednesday came with our District Meeting for the week. Because of the New Year starting on midnight the next day, we decided to do our District Meeting on the day before the day before. The meeting actually went along fairly quickly this time around, as it was mainly about setting the goals for the oncoming week. I remember we had some trouble in communication, though, because in the past weeks, we had put the totaled goals for the District up on the board. So, if someone thought they could get five new investigators, and a couple other companionships thought they could get three, and another thought they could get four, then the total would be 15. Instead, the District Leader decided to put the average for the District up on the board—which, in this case, would be 3.5.

So, yeah...we had a lot of headaches from that. It also begs the question as to how you can get half a person...

Then, it was finally Thursday. The day before the New Year. They last day of the year 2015. Because it was the New Year, we were actually discouraged from going out and doing missionary work. Apparently, missionaries in the past have run across some very colorful individuals on New Year's Eve, which often led to troublesome circumstances. So, rather than go out and do missionary work, we decided to celebrate Elder NeVille's birthday, as December 31st is also the day he was born. And, because he had received a bunch of Buffalo Wild Wings gift cards for Christmas, and neither we nor the Long View Elders had a dinner that night, we decided to hit B-Dubs for dinner. It was surprisingly empty for a while—the only people there besides the workers were us...and the Zone Leaders. All in all, it was a nice evening.

And then it was 2016. The New Year. January 1st, the very first day of the New Year! It's honestly a little hard to believe that we've gotten here. So much has happened this past year, and there is so much more to come in the twelve months ahead of us. So, with that thought in mind, I'd like to share a very special Spiritual Message, to start my last calendar year on the mission off on a high note.

This message comes from thinking over Lindsey Laws' situation. Starting today, she'll have been home for a week. The very first day that she was back home, she craved going back into the missionary work. You can tell that she lived her mission to the fullest, to the point that even after she had been released and the mantle of missionary-ship had been lifted off of her shoulders, she still had a deep desire within her to do the missionary work. I've been thinking about this often this past week, and wondered whether I would have that same reaction coming home. I can tell you honestly that no, I would not. I know that the day after I come home, most likely I will be glued to the living room sofa, with a laptop in front of me, a 3DS in one hand, a Wii controller in another, and catching up on all the nerd and pop-culture phenomena that have occurred over the past two years.

Now, that's fair. I mean, all missionaries say that that's what they envision themselves doing. If it's not catching up on the pop-culture, then it's going out on a date—finally!—for the first time in two years. However, there is a lesson to be learned from the interactions with Lindsey. That lesson is that no matter how devoted to the mission you are, no matter how much you have given up in service to the Lord, you can always give more. There is no 'stopping point' on the road of discipleship in the Church. You never reach the ultimate destination while in this life—not unless you've given your all to God and to the work that He has given you.

Back when I was with Elder Hale, who along with being a hard-working missionary was also a skilled poet, he shared with me this poem of a man sitting on a plane. On this plane, seated directly across from him and just up the row from him, are two missionaries. One wears a fresh suit, has a clean hair cut, and has a broad 'greenie-fire' grin on his face. The other is wearing a faded-out suit, wore-out-nigh-soleless shoes, and is bearing a very haggard expression. The first is a new missionary, eager to get out in the field. The second is a missionary who is ready to go home, a man who gave all he had in the service of his God and is now ready for his duly rewarded rest from his labors for a season.

It is the second missionary we aim to be on the mission, and in life. To give all that we have—to God, to work, to family—so that when we do leave our past life behind, we can say with honor that we did the work our Father gave us to do. So for this New Year, at a time of change for all of us, may we promise ourselves to give our all in our lives. Let us give everything to the Master, and see the wonders He will perform through us in our lives. I know that these things are true, in His Holy name, even the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	78. January 5-11

THIS WEEK WAS AWESOME!

...sorry...think I'm getting ahead of myself here...anyways, Good Morning, America (and any other nations that may be reading this)! This is your totally epic missionary serving in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission—Elder Z. S. Weber! I am here reporting in to y'all from the Mariana Butte Ward in Loveland, Colorado. And, as I prematurely said above, this week was indeed 'awesome'. I mean, so much happened this week, that calling it anything other than 'awesome' would just miss the mark. P-Day of last week, straight up to the Church service on Sunday, this week was just filled with awesome and incredible moments I hope to never forget. So, with that said, let's get this week-in-review email started off!

To start off, let's go to Monday of last week, and the P-Day we spent. Last week, after all of our chores for the day were done (laundry, cleaning the bathroom, cleaning the bedroom), we got a call from Elders Thompson and McMillan from the Long View Ward, asking if we'd like to go to Fly High, the indoor trampoline park, with them for P-Day. So, we went over there, and right from the get-go I thought something odd was going to happen that day. When we pulled into the parking lot, I thought I recognized some of the cars. When we walked in, I knew I recognized some of the cars. Inside the park was half of the Loveland Zone Missionaries. None of us knew that the others were going to be there, and so we ended up with half of our Zone all bouncing together in the park, purely by accident.

However, it ended up working out for the best, as it gave us a chance to talk with the Zone Leaders about that friend of Lindsey Laws, the returned missionary I talked about last week. They had been invited to have dinner at the Laws' house, and then teach her friend about the Restoration afterword. Meanwhile, we were supposed to just sneak off and get to our work for the evening while they got to teaching. However, somewhere along the way of enjoying the dinner and dessert, we forgot to prepare an escape route for ourselves. So, the rest of the evening was spent teaching Mondo (Armondo, Lindsey's friend) the Restoration of the Gospel with Elders Blackburn and Lete. It was actually a very powerful and spiritual experience, and I was happy to be a part of it.

Tuesday was mainly spent moving back into the Andersen's house, so not much else happened that day other than getting moved back in, and me getting a postcard from a very dear friend of mine. The day after, Wednesday, was mainly spent in our District Meeting, where Elder Thompson was on exchanges with Elder Blackburn. For the District Meeting, Elder Blackburn gave a rather interesting lesson on the importance of actively finding new investigators throughout the week, and then had all of us get up in front of the District and practice our door-approaches with him. It was...interesting, though I don't know how much I actually got out of it. Afterwords, Elder NeVille and I decided to go to Wendy's for lunch...where we ended up meeting some of the other elders again.

It was just Fly High all over again...

Thursday soon followed Wednesday, and Thursday brought with it a wondrous opportunity. I believe in the past I've mentioned Billie, our ten-year-old investigator that we've been trying—and failing—to get an appointment with. Well, after much deliberation and discussion between all parties involved, we finally got a time we could teach Billie...a time that fell right when I'd be leaving the area for exchanges with Elder McMillan. So, while I was off in the Long View Ward, Elder NeVille and Elder Thompson taught Billie the Restoration, which I heard went well. While a bit saddened that I wasn't able to teach Billie, the evening went well for me as well, as I got to visit with Marylin Macreena, the girl I and Elder Proffit had been teaching about a year and a quarter ago. Seeing her and her mother again, still staying strong in the faith, was a very great and wonderful moment to behold.

And then it was Friday, and Friday brought with it snow and ice. So, Elder McMillan and I got bundled up and we headed out with shovels to start clearing drives and sidewalks. It was pretty funny, as I'm a missionary from South Jordan, Utah, and he's a missionary from the Big Island of Hawaii. So, though it was just barely under the freezing point, and Elder McMillan was far more bundled than I was (I just had a scarf and a sweater-jacket), he was always complaining about how cold it was outside, while I was just enjoying the nice, almost-warm winter day. It was interesting, seeing the stark contrast from someone who grew up surrounded by beaches and water, to someone who grew up surrounded by mountains and actual seasons. All in all, though, it was a pretty nice day.

And then came Sunday (because Saturday was actually pretty bland and not worth speaking over). Now Sunday brought with it the epicness of the week. So, as some of you might know, us missionaries attend the early morning meetings with the Ward Leaders to get coordinated in our efforts. Well, during the meeting, the Bishop pulled us to the side and told us of a call he had randomly received from this couple that is living inside our Ward boundaries. A few days ago, they had just woken up and decided they should start going to a church again, and felt impressed to try, as they called it, "the Mormon thing". So, they went online to find out which Ward they'd be meeting with, what time they'd be meeting, and who the leader of the congregation was. They gave Bishop Laws their story, and told him that they'd be there that Sunday.

And be there they were! Jeff and Amy Schissler (like Sizzler's, but with a sh- sound at the beginning) they were called, and they were incredible! They ended up going to Gospel Doctrine class, rather than Gospel Principles (someone grabbed them and dragged them with them, or so I believe), but from what I heard they were commenting and really understanding the lessons being taught. In the Elder's Quorum meeting, Jeff added some of his own thoughts to the message being taught (meekness), thoughts that sounded incredibly member-like. Listening to their story, apparently they've also started reading the Book of Mormon digitally, and are about half-way through already. We talked with them, and they said they'd love to take the missionary discussions, but in due time, once they've been learning on their own for a few weeks.

How awesome is this?! I mean, if you read my emails every week, you know that people like this don't just show up all of the time. If they did, more of my emails would actually be about the missionary work, and less about what us missionaries do to kill the extra time we can't seem to fill. However, I feel that this is a true blessing from God, that this is His way of telling me and my companion that He is proud of the stalwart patience we've held in spite of how little work we have. Because of that, He's giving us more moments to teach and spread the gospel to others, like with the Schisslers, and with Billie Vincent.

And that is what I'd like to share for this week. The scriptures always say that the field is white, ready to harvest. However, there are few moments when we actually get around to the harvesting. In my opinion, from what I've seen on my mission, this is because we as missionaries spend much of our time planting the seeds and nurturing the crops rather than actually pushing all the way through to reap the blessings of missionary work. There are those people, those who are ready to be taught and baptized, all around us. But sometimes we fail to see them due to various reasons, be it prejudice,  
narrow-mindedness, or just a slothfulness. However, if we step out and seek them out, our brothers and sisters that are ready to partake in the gospel today, we will find just how white the fields truly are.

This I bear witness of, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	79. January 12-18

Hey everyone, it's me again, Elder Z. S. Weber. Once more, I am reporting in from the Mariana Butte Ward in Loveland, Colorado. However, by the end of tomorrow, that will have changed. Yep, you guessed it—six weeks have come and gone since the last Transfers, when I got Elder NeVille as a companion. Now, the Transfers are on us again, and the news has left me pretty depressed these last few days. So, sorry if I don't sound as excited as I normally do today, or if I choose to just glance over the actual events of the week. I mean, between getting packed up for the Transfer and pushing through this cloud of grief floating around me, I won't have a lot of time for emailing this week.

Anyways, on to the week. To be honest, though, there wasn't much that happened this week. I mean, we all knew that Transfers were coming up, and that some among us would be leaving. So, we in our district—one of the funnest and hardest-working districts I've ever served in—decided to find as many chances to spend time together and hang out. On P-Day, we all went to Fly-High and just spent the afternoon bouncing around. We sat and chatted amongst ourselves for a while after District Meeting on Wednesday, and on Thursday and Friday we all went to a fast-food place to eat (Chick-fi-la on Thursday, Freddy's Burgers on Friday). Then, on Saturday night, we all met up again at the Taysoms' (a senior missionary couple that work in the mission office) to hear the Transfer News.

Which brings me to the main point of my email. Like I said before, this news has left me pretty depressed these last few weeks, and let me tell you why. Never before have I had such an awesome district as the one I've been in these past few weeks. We all get along really well, work hard, and know how to have fun while on the mission. I would've loved to stay another six weeks, especially with Elder NeVille—who has very little similar to me besides a love for Country Music—as my companion. In fact, I was certain that me and Elder NeVille would be together another Transfer, and that it would be  
Elders Thompson and McMillan that would be separated. But, sadly that is not how the Transfer News went.

Starting Tuesday of this week, so the nineteenth, I will be the senior missionary in the Prairie Ridge Ward in the Fort Collins Stake. My new companion is one Elder Anderson, a fairly 'green' missionary from Canada. There are some familiar names in my new district (Elder Wangsgard and Elder Muir...where have I heard that second name, though...?), but for the most part I know very little about my new area and fellow missionaries. Meanwhile, Elder NeVille is staying in the Lakeside District, which hasn't really changed all that much besides losing me. Even Thompson and McMillan are still companions,  
which is a complete shocker considering how long the both of them have been in the area. Elder NeVille's new companion is Elder Mortensen (you might remember him from my Boulder Days), so life should be fun for him.

So, yeah, that's the run-down on Transfers. Like I said, it's a little depressing. I mean, not only am I losing an awesome district and companion, but for the first time in a long time, I've started to see a lot more forward progression in the work. People are starting to show interest, we're starting to get in with families and investigators, and just at the start of the change...I'm taken somewhere else. I'm sure Heavenly Father has a reason for me to be  
going to Fort Collins now. If He didn't, I wouldn't be going there. My one question in my mind, though, is what I accomplished in Mariana Butte Ward that fulfilled my work there.

Well, that's it from me. Sorry it's so short—hopefully next week's is longer and more upbeat. So, until then, hope to hear from y'all again soon and have a great week. Stay Epic, My Friends.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	80. January 19-25

Hello, everyone! It's me, Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting in to you from the Prairie Ridge Ward in Fort Collins, Colorado. It's good to be back again! Yep, I've got a bit more pep in my step than I had last week, which is good. Depression, no matter how small it might be, just doesn't go good with me. So, knowing that I've managed to reclaim my spark of happiness over this past week is reason enough to celebrate. And after what I discovered this past week, I have even more reason to pass around the bubbly (aka Martinelli's). It was as I was at the Mission Office for Transfers, and my new companion, Elder Anderson, dropped the bomb on me.

"Oh, by the way, you're the District Leader."

WHAT?! Care to repeat that?! Apparently, Monday afternoon, President Brown had a discussion with his Assistants, one last check-over on the Transfers to see if everything was in order. And, after some deliberating, they decided that it was a better idea to send Elder Muir to be with his future companion, Elder Wangsgard, in Cheyenne, rather than bringing Wangsgard down to Fort Collins. So, that meant that Elder Anderson and I would be covering both the Prairie Ridge Ward and the Taft Canyon Ward. Crazy, I know. However, in addition to that, there had to be a new District Leader, then, as Elder Wangsgard was to be the District Leader. So, as the most senior missionary in the District, the calling fell to me.

So, yeah, this past week has been pretty stressful, all things considered. I mean, I'm seventeen months out, and so far the only leadership I've had was Senior Companion, and that was with Elder NeVille. Even then, I let him make most of the decisions. So to go from that to being a District Leader gave me a little bit more than a start. However, over this past week, I feel like I've bounced back from that shock. I'm still not certain if I'm okay with the transition, nor do I think I ever will be, but I'm at least going to do the best that I can in my new position that I can in the time that I have it. So, with that news, let's move on to the week!

The week started off with Tuesday, with tearful goodbyes to the Ward I had been quickly loving, and moving on to whatever insane world the Lord had in store for me. There, at the Mission Office, I met Elder Anderson. Now, last week, I said that Elder Anderson was from Canada. I must say, though, that I had heard wrong, and that he's actually from Alabama. He's a fairly nice elder, though he's only been out for three months. Though the 'greenie fire' burns bright inside of him, he's able to contain it for the most part. He isn't as relaxed or 'chill' as Elder NeVille, Hale, or Buchanan were (if you remember those last two, at least), but he's a great elder nonetheless.

Tuesday was mainly spent moving into our new home with the Lambournes in the Ward and getting ready to get work. However, the work moved slowly, as the very next day, Elder Anderson came down with...something. I'm not exactly certain what it was, but it put him out of commission for most of the day. We were able to catch the world-wide Missionary Devotional that morning (which, by the way, was totally awesome!), but about an hour or so after the devotional had closed and we'd left the meeting, we ended up spending the rest of the day at the house, waiting for Elder Anderson to get better. When he didn't, I gave him a quick blessing of comfort and healing, and he spent the rest of the evening sleeping it off.

By Thursday morning, Elder Anderson was up again and ready to go, and so was I. The morning started off with some light stop-by's with some of the potential investigators we had on our lists. After we weren't able to get in with anyone, though, we had a break from our labor, as we went to a Zone Lunch at the Stake President's house. After listening to a very instructive message from President Foster (the Stake President), we went back out and got on to work. The rest of the  
evening was spent with more stop-by's with the other potentials on our list (which were, again, unfruitful efforts) and...tracting...cue shudder. However, the evening ended well, as I was able to finally meet and talk with Brother and Sister Lambourne, the couple that are housing us, and are among the kindest people I've ever met.

Thursday led into Friday, and it brought with it a great and much-needed change in pace. As many of you know, I absolutely love doing service, and Friday brought with it a lot of great chances to do service. Friday morning, we grabbed the other Elders in our District, Elders Christenot and Chan, and headed over to the Stake Center to do service for the Bishop's Storehouse, which is basically distributing food to families in the area that are in need of support. It was great, being able to distribute the food and most basic of commodities to others that needed this service, and seeing them so filled with happiness and joy from the service we gave. It filled my heart with joy.

Then, after lunch ended, our District met up again to give service to this family, the Johnson's. Their son was going to be moving to New York (I think...) in the next few months, and so they needed to get some of his stuff moved out of their house and his apartment across town, and get it stored away in a large storage garage. The work was mostly fast, and actually didn't take much effort to do, so it gave me a good chance to get to know my new District-mates. Apparently, Elder Christenot has been out four-and-a-half months, Elder Chan has been out for three months, Elder Anderson has been out three...and I've been out seventeen. The gap in mission-maturity between me and my fellow District-mates is shocking.

However, the best moments of my week was probably spent in teaching. Over the past week, I've had a great chance to teach this kind woman named Beth, who is planning on marrying a member of the Taft Canyon Ward, Brian. She's planning on getting baptized this next Saturday, so please pray for her. Then, on Saturday evening, we had an interesting lesson with this couple, Robert and Crystal, who are very interested in the lessons. They were referred to us by a member of another Ward, the Terry Lake Ward, so he came and helped us out with teaching the first lesson. However, it went really well, and I'm looking forward to having more experiences teaching them.

So, yeah, that was my week. Thankfully, it was much more upbeat than last week's, which was quite the downer. And I don't like downer weeks. However, with this week, I have had a chance to grow some more, and so it is time for the Spiritual Thought.

As I've already stated several times, I was very against the decision to send me to Fort Collins. With the work progressing as it was in Mariana Butte, and the friendships I had formed with the members and missionaries in that area, I just wasn't ready to leave just yet. That feeling of animosity that I had only grew when I found out that I was going to be serving as a District Leader and covering two separate Wards. So, for the first few days while in the Prairie Ridge Ward, I was just inwardly writhing in anguish and throwing a silent fit. Immature, I know, but that's just how it was.

During that time, I would go to bed each night with the same prayer in my heart every time—Lord, why did you do this to me? Why did you take me away from my area to here of all places? Then, one night (Friday, I think), I had a feeling to change the way I was praying. Call it the spirit or me finally acting mature or whatever, but I decided to listen to that thought, and instead of having a pity-party for my prayer, I asked Heavenly Father to change my attitude towards my  
Transfer to Prairie Ridge/Taft Canyon Wards, and help me come to love the area.

That next morning, I rose with a noticeable spring in my step. I still wasn't fully happy with the transition yet, but I was willing to make the best out of my situation. And so, my message for y'all this week is to simply pray. Our Father will always listen, and so long as our desires are good and are to help His plan come forth, He will help us receive the desires of our hearts. I am a witness of this truth, and as such can promise you such. I know that our Father answers our prayers, and leads us to the answers we need. This I bear solemn testimony of, in the name of His Firstborn Son in the Flesh, Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	81. January 25-February 1

Hello and good morning, once again, my dear friends and familia! This is Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting in once again from the Prairie Ridge/Taft Canyon Wards in Fort Collins, Colorado. This week has gone fairly alright for me and my companion, Elder Anderson. I will admit, though, that I am wiped. The work here in our areas is very taxing, both on the body and on the soul. By the end of the day, I barely have the energy to stay awake through my bedside prayers, and pass right away the second my head touches the pillow. At least we can say that I'm getting the full eight hours of sleep in...though that only seems to make me more tired through the day. Oh well...

So, on to the week!

This week, we started off with an interesting new experience for me. As you might know from my past emails, I've had the chance several times throughout my life as a missionary to be companions with a District Leader. As such, I've often been dragged along to the District Leader Counsel they would have. I never really knew what went on in those meetings, because that was for my companion to know and for me to find out on my own. All I knew was it was a time for extra studying for the non-District Leaders in attendance. Well, now was my first time to be on the other side of that situation, now that I'm a District Leader myself.

To be honest, the meeting went fairly well. Perhaps it was because both I and my fellow District Leader, Elder Clark, are new, and so they went easy on us, or perhaps it was because Elder Klain and Elder Noh (the Zone Leaders) handle the work a lot more simply than past Zone Leaders have. Whatever the reason, the meeting actually went very well. We agreed to focus on returning to the basics of missionary work and to stay focused on our work. Too often on my mission, I've seen missionaries pulling trainings or lessons from resources from I don't know where, and it often causes a disruption in the actual teaching. That needs to change. We have the Book of Mormon and Preach My Gospel for a reason. Use them.

Wednesday was a fairly nice day, all things considered. We met up as a zone once more for a Zone Meeting at the Fort Collins Stake Center. As we had stated in our District Leader Counsel, our focus for this next transfer is to return to the basics of missionary work and improve on our most basic skills in teaching. Near the end of the meeting, we had everyone break up into two-on-two groups (companionship-on-second companionship) and practice teaching investigators by using only the basics of missionary work. After listening to some of the discussions around me, and what knowledge was being thrown around, I reaffirmed my previous belief. We need to use the Book of Mormon and Preach My Gospel more.

Unfortunately, the rest of the day wasn't so good, as I came down with some stomach flu of a kind that put me out of commission for the rest of the day. Luckily, by the time Thursday rolled around, I was up again and ready to go to work. And work we did, as we had several appointments to get through throughout the day. The first was with an elderly man named Roland who had been meeting with the missionaries for quite some time now. We brought one of the Ward Missionaries, Brother Haynes, with us, which really made the meeting go well. Brother Haynes was really able to connect with Roland in a way that us missionaries, being so much younger than Roland, can't.

The next lesson we had that day was with Brian and Beth, who I believe I mentioned in my last email. As Beth's baptism was happening on this past Saturday, we had Elders Klain and Noh come and interview her to see if she truly was ready to enter into the covenant of baptism. After a few minutes of meeting with her, the Zone Leaders agreed that she was ready, and then left to let us get to teaching again. With that, we got to teaching the final lesson, which is the Laws and Ordinances of the Church. We talked about what the Priesthood is and how men like us and Brian wield it, as well as the importance of serving in callings in our Wards and going to the temple for the sacred ordinances found there.

Towards the end of the night, we made one last meeting with an investigator the past missionaries had been teaching often, Jenette. Like Beth and Brian, we finished up teaching Jenette the lessons, though she still feels she needs a bit more time before she can get baptized. It seems that she wants to finish the Book of Mormon, cover to cover, first before she makes the big leap into official membership in the Church. We merely encouraged her to keep reading, but also encouraged her to not wait too long. I've seen many who enjoyed the church, but were happy to just sit back and ease into the transfer. Hopefully, the same is not true for Jenette.

Friday went along fairly slowly, but Saturday was great. Saturday, as I've already stated several times, was Beth's baptism. We had invited several of our other investigators to come and see the baptism with us, but sadly none showed. Still, it was a great experience, and the spirit was felt so strongly in there. For some reason, there were about ten missionaries that showed up for the baptism. The two from Lakeside in Loveland were expected—that's where Beth actually lives, and it'll be where she'll now attend most of the time. However, where the other six elders came from I'm still trying to figure out. It was a wonderful service, though, and I'm glad that I was able to experience it once more.

So, yeah, that was my week. From meetings to teachings to baptisms, it was a great week. Of course, there were some low moments in the week, but those only made the high moments all the more great. And that brings me to my Spiritual Thought of the Week.

This week, I would like to do something different than normal. I came to the realization this week that unless someone takes out all of the servers in Google or something odd like that, the Internet is going to last for a VERY long time. Therefore, these emails of mine, being read by those it was initially sent to or by those that stop by the blog my mom has created for me so lovingly (Love ya, Mom!), may actually still be around several years from now, perhaps even after I've had kids, or even maybe after my kids have kids (that's a scary thought...two whole generations of Zacharites running around the world...). Anyways, for this Spiritual Thought, I'd like to bear my testimony to my future children or grandchildren, as well as all of you that are already reading my blog in present time.

My sons, my daughters, my dear grandchildren. There will be times in your lives when trials will appear, when the burden you are forced to carry through life gets ever heavier, when all the world seems to fight back against everything that you stand for and believe in. You will face abuse—physical, verbal, mental, or otherwise—and will be scorned for who and what you are. As a missionary serving in the Lord's vineyard in Colorado, I can attest that this abuse is terrible. There have been many times, after a long night of being shunned and rejected by those around me, that I have laid in bed and wondered to myself why I was even still on a mission.

Let me now tell you, my children, why I was still on a mission. Even in spite of the terrible trials that surrounded me in my life, I was able to gather strength through my knowledge and faith in the truth. God is real. He truly is our Heavenly Father, and He loves and watches over all of us. He has promised us that though we may face trials and adversities from time to time, **"[our] adversity and [our] afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if [we] endure it well, God shall exalt [us] on high."** (Doctrine and Covenants 121: 7-8) How great a promise from the Lord! That if we endure our trials but for a while longer, we will be raised up in glory by our Father in Heaven; we shall triumph over all our foes.

Of course, this road will not be easy. But then again, nothing that ever is worth much in this life truly is easy. Indeed, surviving the buffeting storms around us in this world is impossible for mere mortal men to overcome. But with Christ as our Master, the captain at the helm of the ships of our lives, we will sail through the storms. We will still be battered, but we will make it through to see the sun shining again. These things I know to be true. Stay strong in the faith, my children. There is no other way to truly find lasting joy and peace in this life than through this faith. I know this to be true, in the sacred and hallowed name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	82. February 2-7

Good morning, 'Merica! This is Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting to you live from a member's basement in the Prairie Ridge Ward, the Fort Collins Stake, the Colorado Fort Collins Mission! Today, once more, I have an epic weekly update on how my life as a missionary has been. And let me tell y'all...this week has been rough. I'm pretty sure that this is my 'sick' transfer, because since the second day that I've been in this area, it's almost as if me and my companion have been playing on a sickness-teeter-totter. If I'm not sick, then he is. If he's not sick, then I am. This week, unfortunately, was my week, and so Saturday and Sunday (and a little bit of Thursday) was spent inside, trying not to worsen our situation.

It has, however, made me feel very thankful that we live in the generation that we do, with the technological and medicinal advancements that we have, things that make fighting illness and disease much easier. As our Ward Mission Leader, Brother Haynes said this last Sunday, "I'd be dead today if it weren't for drugs...pharmaceutical drugs."

Anyways, time to move on with the week! This week started off slow with Monday and Tuesday, as a terrible snowstorm came in from almost out of nowhere. Thirteen inches of powdery white death covered everything for miles around. Our car was so buried under the snow that we actually had to dig our way to it! Because of the circumstances, the Fort Collins and Loveland Zones were labeled as a no-drive day. So, rather than have to fight through the storm, my district (Elders Chan, Christenot, Anderson, and yours-truly) decided to just spend the day chilling at my and Elder Anderson's apartment, playing the Munchkin: Adventure Time game one of the other elders got on last P-Day. So, it was a fairly slow first few days.

Wednesday, though, the roads were mostly cleared, and the car was finally uncovered, so once we were able to get the car out of the snowbank that had built up around it, we headed off to another District Leader Counsel. The meeting went rather calmly, as for the most part it was just spent teaching the 'greenie District Leaders' (myself and Elder Clark) how to do the basics of District Leadership. They went over how to present and plan good District Meetings, what the mission expects from us on our exchanges, and how we can best communicate with our missionaries. We also collaborated together on what would be a good baptismal goal for this month we're now in. All-in-all, it was a rather nice meeting.

Thursday, however, was the day to see just how well I could put my new-found District Leader knowledge to work. Thursday morning, we had our first District Meeting—the first District Meeting I'd lead. Cue sarcastic yay~! That morning, during studies, I tried to come up with a good lesson that would be most helpful for the elders I currently lead. By the end of study hour, I felt pretty happy with how my lesson plan looked, and so we headed off to the church for the meeting. When it got time for my training, I got up at the front of the room, opened my mouth...and just blanked. I just got the feeling that I shouldn't do my training on the subject I'd thought of. So, spur of the moment, I started a discussion with the other elders of finding people, what works and what doesn't, and how we can all improve.

Though very stressful, the meeting actually went well in the end.

Friday was a fairly bland day, mainly spent in planning and preparing for the week ahead. And, as I've already stated, Saturday and Sundayjust weren't my days for missionary work. So, that's pretty much my week. However, I do have a message to share, one that started on Friday, actually.

While we were rushing around on Friday, trying to get things hammered down for this coming week, Elder Anderson and I got a call from Elders Noh and Klain, asking us to stop by the church building to meet with them real quick. Initially, my first thoughts were, "oh crap, what did we do?!" But, no, when we got to the church building, it turns out that they just had some messages from a meeting they had been in with the mission leadership earlier that day. Among other problems in the mission, President Brown has noticed a lack of enthusiasm or draw to doing the work of the Lord. So, to renew our enthusiasm and eagerness to do the work, President Brown presented a new challenge for us missionaries to accomplish.

The challenge: to read the entire Book of Mormon in ninety days. The challenge, in of itself, isn't actually all that hard, as we only have to read about seven pages a day to stay on course. Of course, just reading the Book of Mormon isn't enough of a challenge for us missionaries. There is a second portion to this challenge: while reading it, we have to mark every reference to** (1)** Christ's names, titles, or pronouns describing him, **(2) **his words, by him or by his prophets, **(3)** his attributes, also known as the Christ-like attributes, and **(4)** his doctrine and principles that we as missionaries teach. Now that is more of a challenge!

Anyways, we received that challenge on Friday of last week. Today is Monday. Right now I'm at page 19, right at the beginning of the eleventh chapter of the First Book of Nephi. I've only gotten in eleven chapters, but already I can see the promise of the Book of Mormon shining through. Each page that I read, I find more and more of the references above. Almost every other verse, Nephi or Lehi mentions the Lord's name as they testify or serve to their family. The doctrine we teach is on almost every single page, and references to his words are often quoted or revealed through Nephi and Lehi. Though the Christ-like attributes have been harder to find, they are there, and it's just as fulfilling to find them as it is to find the actual doctrine.

As I've been reading this, starting fresh with this new challenge, I've been reminded of the words that Nephi wrote to his children, and to us, in the Second Book of Nephi. **"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."** (2 Nephi 25:26) This challenge has truly revealed that this is true. Christ truly is the cornerstone of our religion, and his words and doctrine are the foundation on which we are built. The Book of Mormon stands as a clear witness of this, with the words revealed truly testifying of the divinity have and wisdom of the Lord. It truly is another testament of Jesus Christ. I know this to be true, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	83. February 9-15

Good morning universe! This is Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting in to y'all back home, or wherever you might be, from the Prairie Ridge and Taft Canyon Wards in the Fort Collins Stake in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. Once more, I am here to report in to y'all about how things are going, what progress is in the mission field, what's the latest and craziest thing that's happened to me on the mission, and other stuff like that. And this week, while there were a lot of days that just rolled by slowly and dryly, there were definitely some days that I'm glad to be reporting on this time around. So, without further-ado, Let's a-Go!

The week started off well on Tuesday, with me and Elder Anderson heading over to District Leader Counsel again. Nothing much happened there by way of interesting or exciting topics, so we'll move on to the end of the meeting. After the meeting closed, we had to head right over to our Ward's meeting house, as one of our investigators, Jennette, was getting interviewed by President Brown. After waiting for about an hour for the interview to end, we were allowed into the room to discuss with Jennette when she would like to have her baptism. After some light discussion, we all agreed for the 20th, this coming Saturday. It was really incredible, to see this woman that previously had been nervous about baptism, now so excited for it.

Wednesday, also, was planned to be a very big day. Between exchanges with the Zone Leaders and the District Meeting I had to organize, it was expected to be a pretty hectic day. Unfortunately, we may never know how hectic it would've been, as that morning I awoke with a light head and a very upset stomach. Seriously, this really is just my sick transfer. I was in no way capable of doing work that day, so we had to cancel our appointments and meetings and I was reserved to sitting in a recliner and staring at the ceiling all day. Not exactly the best way to spend the day. Definitely one of the worst ways to spend the day while a missionary. However, by the time Thursday rolled back around, I was better and ready to work.

Now, we weren't able to do exchanges with the Zone Leaders, as we had planned for the day before, but we were still able to gather together at the Ward building and have a pretty alright District Meeting. We mainly spent the meeting discussing problems we have been having in our areas, and how best to overcome them. In my own personal opinion, I thought the meeting went well. Then, afterwords, we grabbed the Harmony Elders (the one other companionship in our District) and went out for a quick lunch together, and further discussion on how things in our companionships are going, what we are struggling with, and how they (as the younger missionaries) are adjusting to mission life.

After the lunch ended, and we had dropped off Harmony at their house, Elder Anderson decided to address my sickness problems. Apparently there was this member in the Taft Canyon Ward that had this method of discerning what chemically is going on in someone that can cause things like headaches, stomach aches, achy joints, and how to best alleviate them. When I tried to get more out of him, he simply said that she was a witch doctor, and that was the easiest way he could describe it. Which, honestly, doesn't make much sense to me, as the procedures she used weren't very voodoo-ish. Whatever it was, though, it worked, as since then I haven't even been the least bit sick.

So, what did we do with my newly-healed self? The very next day was our weekly-planning day, and luckily I had a clear enough head to actually participate. The planning session actually went very well. We had several very good discussions in our companionship about what methods of finding people work and what don't, what we should improve in spending our time on and what we could do less of, and how we can better reach our goals as missionaries each week. We also were able to, in a very relaxed and caring manner, address what we personally were falling short in, and help correct and instruct each other in how to teach more effectively. By the end of the planning session, we both felt very satisfied and ready to start our next week.

And that was my week! All in all, it was a pretty good way to serve. I'm happy with how it went down, even if I was sick (again) at the beginning part of it. But I feel better now, and have grown more as a missionary and a child of God. Which means, it's time for this week's spiritual thought. For this week, I thought I'd share a fairly well-known story. I don't know who first told this story, or who wrote down the story or poem that it comes from. It's been told and retold countless times by men young and old, Mormon and not. And now, it's my turn to share the story. The story is called "Footsteps in the Sand."

**"I had a dream last night, a dream profound and deep. In the dream, I was carried away to stand on the edge of the sea with my Lord and give an accounting of my life. As we walked together along that stretch of sandy shores, I recounted every moment of joy and sadness, every triumph and every fall, that I had experienced in my life, from my childhood up.**

**"As I gave this accounting of my life, I would notice these two sets of footprints running beside the two of us—one for myself and one for my Lord. As I did so, I began to recognize a recurring pattern in the footprints. Whenever I got to a point in my life when I had to overcome a considerably terrible hurtle, when my faith and my strength were truly put to the test, and when I felt that I could go no further, those were the times that there were only one set of footprints walking along in the sand. I was both grieved and frustrated at this revelation.**

**"Finally, after a while, I came to a stop and turned to look at my Lord. 'My Lord, I don't understand it. I've been baptized. I've obeyed your commandments. I've upheld every covenant you've ever given me, and lived my life to the best of my abilities. And yet whenever I faced a terrible trial in my life, something that left me more than just a little emotionally and spiritually bruised and battered, there's only one set of prints in the sand. Why is that? What did I do during those times that would cause you to abandon me?'**

**"My Lord simply smiled at me and shook his head. 'My son, you misunderstand. I have never, and will never, abandon you. Whenever you lifted those heaviest burdens that made your back nearly break, I was the one that lifted with you. Whenever you had fears or worries that threatened to keep you up at night, I was the one that helped you get the rest you would need. When you were sick, I was the one that healed you. When you were grieved, I was the one that comforted you. And when you felt that you could go no further, when you had walked as far as you possibly could, well then, that was when I carried you.'"**

And such is true. No matter how alone we might feel, no matter how terrible our trial is, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is always there for us. It is true that no living person can truly understand what we are going through, what trials we have faced. But Christ, the glorified Lord, does. For he **"suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people...that his bowels may be filled with mercy...[and] that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."** (Alma 7:13, 12) He suffered for each of us in Gethsemane not just so that he could take away our sins, but so that he could know how best to help us overcome the trials and burdens we carry in our lives. He truly is the glorified Lord.

I bear testimony that I know this to be true. Our Lord is always at our side, lifting up our burdens beside us when the load is too heavy for us alone, and sometimes lifting us ourselves up when our lives have become too heavy for us alone. He is there always, and he will never, and can never, abandon us. He will always strengthen us and help us, if we turn to him in faith and seek to do his work. I know this to be true for myself, in the name of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	84. February 16-22

Hello universe and all that inhabit it! (Or at least, all that are willing to read this email) 'Tis I, the ever magnificent, wondrous, and humble missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Elder Z. S. Weber, serving you here in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. This last week has been great, for a lot of reasons but mostly because it's the first week in a long week where I haven't spent at least a little bit of time sick. After who knows how many weeks of being sick, I'm finally better, and ready to get to work...right as the sixth and final week of the Transfer is starting up. Yeah...I really didn't time that very well...

Regardless, this week has been great, and I am glad to be able to report on it. So, without further ado, here we go!

Tuesday started off with what has to be one of the most dreaded and anticipated moments of mission life—missionary interviews. I don't know what it is about getting interviewed by the Mission President, but everyone seems to be a little more nervous when it comes their time to be interviewed. We ended up getting there early, due to us ferrying the Harmony Elders whithersoever they needed to go, so we spent a good deal of time at the Stake Center sitting quietly in the foyer with Sister Brown, anxiously waiting for the office door to open and for President Brown to usher one of us in. Like I said, for some reason it just seems so much more trepidatious in the moment than it actually is in reality.

After both of the Harmony Elders were done, it was Elder Anderson's turn, and then it was my turn. Then the interview began. Thankfully, there was nothing really to worry about with my interview. It was sort of like Parent-Teacher Conferences back in high school—President asks me how I'm doing, I respond truthfully to his questions, he asks if there was anything I needed help or advise in, I offer something that I'm lacking in currently (this time it was my skills as a District Leader), and we have a short discussion on how we can improve. Barely fifteen minutes have passed by, and the interview is already over, yet it hasn't even felt like it began.

It was also nice to hear from President Brown how some of my former companions were doing. He had already interviewed most of the other Zones in the mission, so he had heard from most of my companions that hadn't gone home yet. Elder V, who had been my second companion in the mission field, is serving in this Zone, actually. I was happy to hear from President that though we had dealt with a rather rough transfer together, there were no hard feelings between myself and the cheerful Tongan. Though we didn't see eye to eye (literally, seeing as he's a good half-foot taller), we were able to learn from each other, and take what we had learned into our future companionships. Hearing that our transfer together had done us both good brought a feeling of peace and happiness into my heart.

Then, with that, Interviews were over, and I was pumped to get to work. Sadly, such was not to be, as on Wednesday, sickness struck the Prairie Ridge/Taft Canyon Elders once more. This time, though, it wasn't me, but Elder Anderson that was struggling. Unfortunately, Elders Noh and Klain, our Zone Leaders, weren't about to let a little sickness hold us back from our responsibilities as missionaries. So, even with Elder Anderson running a pretty decent fever, we drove down to the church for District Meeting. Now, not to sound vindictive or anything, but if it turns out that the Zone Leaders caught whatever Elder Anderson caught, all I can say is that it was their fault.  
Still, the meeting was actually very good, and the part of me that wasn't worried about Elder Anderson's condition felt very glad we had been able to be there.

The rest of that day and the next was spent at home, trying to get Elder Anderson to recuperate. About halfway through Thursday, though, we had to attend our Ward Correlation meeting with the other Ward Missionaries. Elder Anderson was feeling well enough to go out for the meeting, so we headed out and spent some time discussing how the work in the area was going for us full-time Missionaries. After a while, the discussion turned to ways to get the members excited, and that's when we found out the shocking news. The date for the Fort Collins temple's dedication had been announced! Unfortunately, it's in October, after I've left my mission, but oh well. It just means I have to find a time to come back and go through it! Still, what great news!

When we were done with the meeting, we headed back home to let Elder Anderson rest some more. The next day, Friday, Elder Anderson was feeling much better, so we were able to go out and do service that morning. Now, I don't think I've touched much on this, but every other Friday, we help the Bishop's Store House sort and distribute food to member families in the area. This week, there was quite the load of food. There was almost so much that we didn't have enough room for it all. In spite of that, once we got to work sorting it all out, we were able to get it all distributed to all those who needed it most in only about an hour. Incredible pace, considering how much was actually out there.

And then it was Saturday, the moment Elder Anderson and I had been waiting all week for. As I stated last week, our progressing investigator Janette was planning on getting baptized that day, and baptized she was! It was a great service for all those involved. She brought her daughter, Piper, who was glad to see her mother taking such a major step in her life. President Brown, also, was in attendance. Apparently, because he had been the one to interview Janette, he had managed to work his schedule out that he could attend her baptism also. It was truly a wonderful experience, with the spirit so strong in there. It was just an incredible moment to witness, and I was glad I was able to play even just a small role in her conversion story.

Many people ask us why we believe the way that we do, why we put faith in this church, why we are Mormons. To those of you who wonder why yourself, might I offer some quick reasons as to why we chose to believe the Mormon faith?

We believe in new beginnings. No one is condemned to live in darkness forever. God would not want us to just stay trapped by our own decisions and held back by ourselves. He offers us a way to return to Him, to change ourselves, to start off fresh. We turn to our Father in Heaven, and follow His commandments, and He promises us that He will not remember our past sins. We are given a new, fresh slate to start off on, and are no longer held back by the chains of our past.

We believe that love conquers all. The pure love of Christ, charity, never faileth, as Paul in the New Testament teaches us, and that is absolutely true. Christ will never turn away his love for us. Whenever we need to turn to him, he will always be there for us. His atonement made in the Garden of Gethsemane allowed him to clean the sins from our garments and wipe the tears from our eyes. He, the perfect savior of the world, will always be there to help us reach our true potential and more perfect disciples of Christ, sharing his love with those around us.

We believe in happily ever after. God is our perfect Father in Heaven, and wants all of us to be happy. The Plan of Salvation has taught us that even if we fall short in our earthly lives, we aren't condemned to an awful and terrible hell, but that we will be able to enter into a level of Heaven that we will feel most comfortable in. Those that follow God through-and-through will receive the highest glory, but it won't be so stark as day-and-night. Everyone will dwell where they will feel the most joy for the eternities.

These are just three of the reasons as to why I am so devoted to the Mormon faith, or faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. With these reasons to believe in, I don't see much reason not to be a member of the church. There is so much good that comes from living according to the principles and commandments given to the church, I can't see life being any better away from it. Those of you that are questioning whether you should stay in the church, because of trials of your faith going on around you, might I ask you to ask yourselves if you believe in those three principles above, and that the Mormon Church can help you receive it. If yes, wherein can you doubt? This is Christ's true, restored Church. I know it as assuredly as I know that the sun rises in the east each morn and sets in the west each eventide. I know this to be true, in the name of he who is mighty to save, the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	85. February 23-29

Hey everyone! It's me again, Elder Z. S. Weber, here again with a quick update on how things are going for me and my companion, Elder Anderson, here in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to keep this faster than normal, as today has a lot going on. Tomorrow is Transfer Day, and while no one in our District is actually leaving (except for Elder Noh), we still have to get all packed up, as we are now moving houses, and going to stay at a different member's house. So, along with cleaning and getting our groceries, we also have to get everything packed up and moved to that new house. So, with that said, without further-ado, let's go through the week!

So, Tuesday was a pretty nice day, all things considered. Along with our usual District Leader Council on Tuesdays, we also had exchanges with the District Leaders, as well. This had been an event five weeks in the making, and we had repeatedly missed out on the exchange. Finally, we were able to go on it with Elder Noh coming to my area. It was nice to spend the exchange with Elder Noh and see how far he'd come from our MTC days. It was also great to see him teach. We had a chance to teach an investigator couple that we've been trying (and failing) to meet for the last few weeks, and we were actually able to teach a pretty decent lesson on the Restoration between the two of us.

Wednesday was a nice day, even with me having to teach the training at District Meeting. We managed to find this less-active/part-member family, the Salmonds (your guess is as good as mine with the pronunciation) that we've been trying to meet with for a while. We ran across them really on accident, as we had been trying to meet this other less-active, and it turned out that they had moved out of their house and the Salmonds had moved in, and neither record had been updated. Still, it all worked out in the end, as it allowed us a chance to meet with them and share a quick spiritual message with them and invite them to church.

Thursday was interesting, as we ended up going on exchanges again. This time, however, we were doing our exchanges with the other missionaries in my area (the Harmony Elders, Elder Christenot and Chan). I went with Elder Christenot to his area in Harmony and helped him out with the work there. We taught a less-active/part-member family he and Elder Chan had been teaching, which went well...in spite of the three kids bouncing off the walls the entire time. Unfortunately, that was all we did work-wise, as their dinner (who was supposed to drop off dinner at their house at 6) didn't show up until about 7:30. Still, it was a pretty nice exchange, and gave me a better idea of how things are going for my fellow elders.

Friday was pretty bland, as it was pretty much just spent planning for the week ahead and getting our week all filled out. Saturday, however, was much more interesting, as we were helping a member move from their old house to a new one across the city. We had supposed the service would only last a couple of hours, and then we'd be done and on our way. Unfortunately, that was not how it went at all. There was a LOT more to move than we first thought, and so rather than the service lasting two hours, we ended up being there for about SEVEN hours...and when we left, they still weren't done yet. Still, it was a nice service opportunity, and I enjoyed it.

So, yeah, that was my week. Sorry there isn't a spiritual thought this week. Like I said before, we've got a lot on our schedules today that needs to get done. But I promise! Next week, I'll have a great message for all of you! Until then, have a great week, and stay epic, my friends! Ciao!

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	86. March 1-7

Good morning Universe! This is your total epicness elder, Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting in once more from the Prairie Ridge/Taft Canyon Wards in the Colorado Fort Collins mission. It's been a long week since I last wrote to any of you—long, but very fruitful. I know, you don't hear that from me very often. Usually I say that the work was slow, or I say something witty about the weather, or complain about how sick I'd always be getting. But this week, for once, things are actually moving forward. I've seen a lot of success this past week, both in seeking out those who with listen to the discussions, and in just living my life as a missionary. This week has just been wonderful. So, without further-ado, let's get into the week!

So, Tuesday started off as being a very slow day at the start. As it was Transfer Day, we mainly spent the day getting our bags moved into our new house, settled in, and just preparing for the week we were about to start off. However, towards the end of the day, we had an...interesting experience. We were out doing our rounds of going down the former investigator lists to see if anyone would be interested in learning the missionary lessons. We knocked on one door, and we were answered by a man who was smoking a cigarette and VERY drunk. However, he let us in, and they expressed some interest in joining a new church. So, we set up a time for us to stop by again later in the week to share our message with them.

We also encouraged them not to be so...drunk next time.

Anyways, the next day was Wednesday, which started off with us doing some small service at Good Will. Afterwords, we had a couple very great chances to teach. The first was with the Salmonds, who I believe I probably mentioned last week. In this meeting, we taught Sister Salmond's fiancé, Dwain, about the Plan of Salvation, as he had some concerns with the afterlife. It was an interesting experience to share our beliefs with someone who had very little understanding of religious beliefs such as life-after-death. He had quite a few interesting questions as well, and I was very glad that we were prepared enough to answer his questions fairly well, and were able to help him understand for himself the Plan our Father has for us.

Then, that evening, we had a chance to teach a less-active member of the Prairie Ridge Ward, John Bass. We have been teaching Brother Bass the lessons for a while—in fact, I think I've mentioned him once or twice in past emails—and he's been taking to them fairly well. Last Wednesday night, we went into the Commandments portion of the missionary discussions, and shared with him the various commandments we have been given as Heavenly Father's children, and what blessings we can expect from keeping the commandments. We went into great detail on the subject of Keeping the Sabbath Day holy, and Brother Bass actually had some very interesting points on the Sabbath Day that made me look at how the world treats the Sabbath Day a lot differently...and not in a good way.

Thursday was a good day, as at the beginning of it, we had a big Zone Lunch at our Stake President, President Foster's house, and had a quick training from the Zone Leaders to get our next transfer rolling right. That afternoon, we took what we learned from the Zone Lunch and jumped straight into work, with a chance to teach one of our investigators, Roland. Brother Haynes, the Ward Mission Leader, came along with us to help in teaching Roland. We mainly spent the lesson reading from the Book of Mormon and helping Roland see the importance that it could have in his life. I truly feel that the lesson helped him to improve his views on the Book of Mormon. We plan on meeting with him this week, so hopefully his reading went well.

Thursday led into Friday, and Friday brought with it a great chance to do service. Once again, Friday morning found Elders Anderson, Christenot, Chan, and myself driving down to the Stake Center to help out with the Bishop's storehouse, and in organizing the food that members had ordered through their Bishop. After it was all done with, Brother Johnson—who is the main supervisor for the Bishop's storehouse—asked if we could lend a hand with some work he needed to finish. His son is moving, and he had to get all of these keyboards (25-ish, I think) packed up. So, we drove off to the townhouse Brother Johnson's son lived in and got to work wrapping up the keyboards in plastic wrap and bubble wrap so they'd be safe for travel. It was a lot of fun, actually, and went along fairly quickly.

And that pretty much wraps up my week (heh...wraps up...like plastic wrap...heh). Now, I promised all y'all a spiritual message this week as last week I sort of flaked out on it. So, I actually do have a message I can share.

This past week, while we've been sharing our messages with members and investigators in our area, we've heard a lot of sad news from some we've taught. Friends and family have passed away, close companions have fallen on hard times, and the harshness of the world only seems to get harsher with every day. As I've listened to these messages, I can't help but find myself traveling back to about eight years ago, when I learned the shocking news that my grandfather, Kenneth Weber, had passed away. At the time, I didn't really know how to respond. I don't know if I could say I was saddened by the news, as I was probably too numb to feel sadness at the time. Whatever it was, I know that it left me with a feeling that I can only describe as emptiness inside myself.

However, even back then, as a young eleven-year-old, I knew I could be comforted by the knowledge that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints gave me. My grandfather wasn't a member of the Church, no, but he was a great man, kind and loving. I knew, then, even in my childhood, that he wasn't lost to the cold grasp of death, never to be heard from again. Though his body was dead, his spirit still lived, and dwelt now in the Spirit World. There, he would be taught the fullness of the gospel, and could be received into the wondrous joy that is paradise. About a year after his death, I was able to do his baptism for him in the Jordan River Temple. This saving ordinance, without which no man can see the Kingdom of God, was done there for my grandfather, so that he would see and dwell in the Kingdom of God after the great day of Judgement.

In the scriptures, it says, "**...for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?**" (1 Corinthians 15: 52-55) I know of a certainty that Death has no more power over us. We are no longer slaves to eternal death and despair, but Death is now merely a rest between this life and the glorious life to come—a life spent in the eternities with our Father.

I bear my personal witness, which I have had from my childhood up, of this divine truth. Through Christ's atonement, death hath no sting, and the grave hath no victory. We shall all live again, and dwell in endless joy for the rest of our days, so long as we believe in our Savior, and follow his commandments on until the every end. I am so grateful for this truth, which brings so much comfort and hope to my life. As Paul exclaimed to the Corinthians thousands of years ago, so exclaim I today, "**thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.**" (1 Corinthians 15: 57) This I say in the holy name of our Savior and Redeemer, the breaker of the bands of Death, even the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	87. March 8-14

Top a de Mornin' to ye! 'Tis I, yer ol' friend an' fav'rite missionary in de fields o' de Lord, Elder—what? St. Patrick's Day isn't fer anorther tree days? Oh...ahem...

Morning, everybody! Sorry about that, I thought St. Patrick's Day was yesterday (we had green waffles for dinner last night! I mean, come on, give me a break here!). Seeing that it wasn't, though, I guess I'll just get started as usual. Anyways, it's great to be able to email y'all again after another long and exciting week in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission field. I probably don't have to introduce myself anymore to any of you, but just for the heck of it, it's me again, Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting in to y'all live from the Prairie Ridge and Taft Canyon Wards of Fort Collins, Colorado. And let me just say, guys—this week has been great. I mean it, this week was wonderful, and we had lots of wonderful moments to look back on and enjoy.

So, with that said, let's get started on the week!

This week started out very well on Tuesday. Sure, the day started off really slow. We had to go pick up the the new bike rack for our car so that we could carry the other elders' and their bikes to their appointments. Then, we actually had to install the bike rack, which might sound easy to you, but for two very stubborn missionaries and one very stubborn bike rack, it took a lot longer than it should've. By the time we were done, we just had time to grab a bite to eat for lunch and head out to our District Leader Conference. The conference actually went fairly well, as there was now a new member in our midst. During transfers, we had ended up splitting one of the districts into two smaller districts (not mine, we only have two companionships in that district), and so we had a new District Leader with us, Elder Johnson. So, it made for some interesting new conversation with the first DLC of the transfer.

Then, after DLC's were over, we had the really exciting moment of the day. We had another lesson with Roland, our investigator. During the lesson, we read through a few of the chapters of the Book of Mormon and discussed with him the importance of the Book of Mormon, as I personally feel that he is having a hard time seeing the book as anything more than just a history book about ancient Americans. We're still working on helping him get the message down into his heart, which is hard because we can't actually force someone to believe the truth. Darn agency. Greatest and worst gift from God we could ever have. However, at the end of the lesson, the member that had come with us, Brother Haynes, offered to take Roland out to see the temple. They agreed to meet up the next day and take a trip down there.

The next day, Wednesday, was another interesting day, as all of us missionaries in the Fort Collins Zone were gathered together for a large Zone Meeting. The focus of the meeting was on working with our members to gather referrals so that we could have a constant pool of investigators to turn to for lessons. It was actually a pretty interesting way that they went about teaching that message to us, though we've tried a similar method multiple times this week and so far have found there to be no fruits in the vineyard. However, it was still a great Zone Meeting. Afterwords, about ten of us ended up going to Wendy's for a quick lunch. When we got there, who should we run into but Brother Haynes and Roland, fresh from the temple grounds! What a coincidence, right?

Thursday was another very good day, a day that gave us a chance to go out into the Ward and provide service for the members in our Ward. It turned out that one of our members in the Taft Canyon Ward was moving with his family, and needed some extra hands with the loading of all of the furniture and belongings into the moving truck. So, we grabbed the Harmony Elders and headed over for a few hours of service. And, let me tell you guys one thing—as missionaries who help people move a LOT, you become a master at the game Tetris. However, even with a mission-Bachelor's in furniture stacking-and-organizing, this was a hard move to work with. We weren't even half done with all the things in the house when the truck was full and ready to be driven out. So, we had to put an end to the service. Still, it was a great opportunity to help others.

Friday was the last day of the week (as Saturday was mainly spent planning), and what an interesting day that was. So, to continue on with our service mentality from the day before, we were asked to help this young man, Zak Jewkes, with his Eagle Scout Project. I couldn't give you a full description of what happened—as it has to do with baseball and anyone who knows me knows that all I know about baseball is that you're supposed to hit the ball with the bat, all the way around the diamond until you make it back to where you started, and at the end of the game you get a whole snow-cone—but basically we spent the day digging these large trenches in the ground for Zak to put some cement dividers in. After a few hours of digging and tearing the ground apart with shovels and picks and all manner of lawn-care tools, we were finally able to finish the work. Which I must say was very satisfying to stand and see what we had accomplished.

So, yeah, that was my week. Which means, it is now time for the Spiritual Thought.

Now, I know you're all thinking, "Well, what did Elder Weber learn during this past week from these experiences that he now wants to share with all of us?" Actually, my message doesn't come from my experiences this past week. Rather, I want to share a short message I came up with after watching one of the Mormon Messages videos this past week—the Refiner's Fire.

As we all already know, this life is very hard. I think I've mentioned several times already throughout my mission the trying and testing times that have brought me much grief. I have also spoken of how merciful the Lord is during this time, to help build me up and tear me down until I have become the man that he wants me to be. All the while, he continues to show me love and kindness in even the smallest of ways, and that love helps to keep me going, regardless of the trials I've faced. It allows me to pass through even the harshest of the flames in this refiner's furnace we are going through in life, and hopefully by the time I'm done, I'll be refined into that man that my Lord envisions me becoming.

Now, I can understand if this might seem like a hard subject to understand. We don't really talk about refining metals much in daily life. Luckily, I happened to come across a talk a while back (don't ask me who it was by or when it was, because both answers are lost to me) that went into detail on the process by which metals are refined.

It starts with taking some silver ore and throwing it in a furnace. That way, the substances stuck to the silver can melt off, that way the silver is all that remains. Some wonder how long this process of melting goes on for. (Minutes? Hours? Days? Do you melt it down until everything is melted, and then keep it in there for good measure?) The process lasts as long as the metal takes to become pure. Then, the very instant that the silver has been refined, it is taken out of the fire, that way it won't be destroyed by staying in the furnace too long. The way you know the silver has been purified is if you can look into the liquid metal and see your own reflection looking back.

Think of how this reflects back, then, to the Lord as OUR refiner. We have impurities that are attached to us, just like with the ore. In order to perfect us, our Lord puts us through trials that are made to refine us, and make us better than who we were at the beginning. The flames are hot, yes, but he doesn't plan on keeping us in this furnace for long. The instant we are refined, we are perfected, he pulls us out of the flames. And he knows that we have been refined, because when he looks at us to see if we are perfected, his own reflection stares back at him. At that point, we will be perfect disciples of Christ, walking the path he laid for us with absolute exactness.

In Malachi 3, we read this message; **"But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness."** (Malachi 3: 2-3) I know this to be true. I know that the Savior truly is our refiner. That his mission is to refine and perfect us, that we may shine as silver and gold, and stand on his right hand with power and confidence, knowing with a surety that we will dwell with him in his Kingdom for time and all eternity. This message I bear to you, in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	88. March 15-21

Hey everyone. It's me, Elder Z. S. Weber. I'm here, reporting in to you from the Prairie Ridge/Taft Canyon Wards in Fort Collins, Colorado, to share how this past week has gone for me and my fellow missionary and companion, Elder Anderson. Sadly, though, I'm afraid that I don't have as much this week to talk about. I know that's not what you like to hear, but this week has just been slow and rough. It's been tiring, from meetings over an hour away, to lessons that just never happened or fell through. It's been a hard, long, and tiring week.

However, in spite of the hardships that we've faced this past week, there have been small moments of joy that have shown up every now and again. This last Tuesday was our Zone Conference, where we were introduced to the new #Hallelujah seasonal video for this Easter Season. If you haven't watched the video yet, by the way, you can find it on FollowHim . mormon . org. It's a great video, and a wonderful message to share for the new Easter season we are currently in. And as it says at the end of the message, we can 'Discover How' Christ plays a huge role in our lives.

However, my joy didn't come from the video. Sure, it was a great video to watch, and again, I strongly encourage all of you that can watch to watch it, but it wasn't what brought me joy this past week. It was when we were all sitting in the gym at the building we were having Zone Conference in. We were having lunch, and some of the Senior Couples were going around passing out the mail. I ended up getting two letters. One was from a dear friend of mine that I unfortunately, haven't been able to stay in touch with as often as my family.

The other letter was from the Teacher's Quorum from my home Ward in South Jordan, Utah. In the letter, each of the Teachers and leaders of the Teachers Quorum had written short messages and letters of inspiration. What was interesting to me was the number of names I recognized, and how surprising it was for me that so many of those little kids that were little brothers to those in my group or were friends of my sisters are nearly grown themselves, and thinking of missions. It made me glad to see such strength and power in their messages, and the conviction to their God that they were able to express in their short and simple messages.

It brings to my mind the message told in the Book of Alma in the Book of Mormon. When the Nephites and the Lamanites were at war once more, the People of Ammon wanted to help to defend their lands, but the men among them had made a promise with the Lord to never again lift a sword to do battle. Their sons, however—most of whom were no older than fourteen, perhaps, the age of a Teacher—had never made that promise, and were more than willing to stand up for their country and defend it from the evils that sought to destroy it.

I don't know about you, but even as someone that is considered an adult by the world's standard, going to war is a pretty scary idea for me. I'm no fighter—or rather, I'm no fighter others can count on to win a fight. Yet fourteen-year-old boys were able to stand and defend their nation. They were able to march boldly and valiantly into the Valley of Death, face the terrors it held in, and continue their valorous journey onward, without flinching. They were steadfast and sure of themselves, to the point that not one of them were killed by the armies of their enemies. How could they do so?

To me, the answer lies in Alma 56:47 and 48. A simple scripture, loved and known by many in this Church. In speaking of their decision to return to the battle and help their brothers who were still fighting against the Lamanites, Helaman wrote, **"they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it."**

That is a powerful and moving message. What I feel goes unsaid, though, is that through their sure knowledge that their mothers knew they would be protected, they too believed and gained strength in the knowledge that their God would protect them. I have a mother, one that I love dearly. The testimony I have, which I treasure above all else that I have (yes, including my DS and PSP), was first raised up in the shadow of the immense testimony that I saw within my mother. I heard her words, her conviction, her sure knowledge of the truth, and it led me to know it with the same conviction.

I know that we are expected not to live off of others testimonies. At the last day, we will not be judged off of how much we believed in someone else's testimony, but how much we believed in God ourselves. However, I am certain that had the Stripling Warriors not seen the radiant testimonies in their mothers, theirs would never have been as strong or steadfast, to the point that they could stare death in the face and never fear.

So today, my message is one of gratefulness, for the divine calling of mothers who rear up this next generation of Stripling Warriors in righteousness. Let your testimony shine bright for all to see. You never know who may be watching, or to what level your words and your actions will shape those around you. Hold high your light, and it will lead others to He who is The Light of the World. This I bear my personal witness of, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	89. March 22-28

This week was awesome!

Good morning universe and all that inhabit it. This is your favorite missionary serving in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission that—unless you're part of my family—isn't your own kin. In other words, it's me again, Elder Z. S. Weber. I'm here today to tell you, as I did in the short exclamation at the top, that this week was awesome. Really, it was. There were a few reasons for this—some spiritual, some temporal—but when you get down to it, a good week is a good week, no matter whether it's because you got a great care package from your family, you taught a good lesson to an investigator, or you just had some really good studies over the last week (all of those are true for me right now, just FYI).

So, with that said and done, let's move on to the week, starting off with Tuesday. Tuesday started out like how most days as a missionary go—we got up, I did a light work-out for about a half-hour, and we got into our studies. Then, after our studies were done, we changed into our service clothes, grabbed the Harmony Elders, and headed out to a new service opportunity we had been given. One of the member families in Prairie Ridge had just finished pruning some bushes, and needed some strong young men to come and pull the stumps out of the ground. Seeing as the Priest's quorum wasn't available, due to school, we were suggested to help out.

Now, I've dug up stumps before—mostly during my seven-and-a-half-month sojourn in Erie, Colorado—and the stumps I had to take care of, while still tough to remove, were large enough to maneuver well around and find an effective way to de-stump them. These stumps weren't those stumps. These stumps were just short little things that were just barely sticking up out of the ground. However, though the stumps were short, the roots were VERY long, to the point where we just couldn't find a good place to uproot it. Having grown tired of just digging, we got the permission of the family we were helping to use their chain-spear (which is to say, a small chainsaw on a long pole) to just cut the stump out and then bury the hole.

And we still aren't done with all of the stumps, either...

However, though we couldn't finish the work, we promised that we would come back, probably around Thursday and finish what we started. Well, that was a great plan...until Elder Anderson and I looked outside Wednesday morning and saw a full-blown blizzard howling outside. About an hour later, the Zone Leaders sent out a mass text to the Zone saying that it was too hazardous to go outside, so today was going to be a stay-indoors-and-study day. Of course, there were some that didn't listen to the Zone Leaders (one companionship tried biking in the snow...they couldn't even make it halfway across their driveway) but for the most part, we heeded our leaders' words.

However, one can only study the word of God for so long before you get tired. Even the epic and powerful War Chapters of Alma start to get a little long and tiresome after the second hour or so. So, rather than just end up spending the rest of the day staring at the ceiling thinking of things to do, I decided to pick up my old hobby of story writing. Now, no, I wasn't able to get a whole story written—it was just something fun to do to keep my mind off of how many hours we had been stuck indoors. However, while my intent wasn't to write an epic novel in only a few hours, it was very wonderful for me to see that my skills as an author still existed, and even after two years of not seriously writing, I could still write well.

After the snow stopped falling, and the sun rose on Thursday morning, we were expected to return to our missionary work as usual. With the snow on the ground, though, our plans of de-stumping the stumps at the other members' home weren't going to pull through. So, instead, we decided to do something that I have been meaning to get to all transfer but haven't been able to yet—Exchanges. Once more, I was with Elder Christenot, but this time we spent the day in my area. We actually had a few great experiences while out and about. Between shoveling others' driveways and teaching short messages with less-active members that took pity on us and let us in to get some hot cocoa,Thursday went very well.

Friday...started off a little less epically than Thursday did. After we had exchanged back and started getting ready for our lessons, we realized that one of our phones, the phone for the Prairie Ridge Elders, had gone missing. After much digging and searching—searching that made our apartment look like three tornados had a party playing Twister in our living room—we found out that Elder Christenot still had the phone, and had accidentally left it in his robe before packing up at the end of our exchange. So, thankfully, we were able to find the phone and then rush off for our next appointment with Sister Salmond's fiancé, Duane.

And that brings me to what was definitely the most epic part of my week. Friday, we had decided to teach Duane the Gospel of Jesus Christ (for those that don't know what that is, I think I know two young men in your area that can help you learn), and once we got to the part about baptism, we would invite him to be baptized. I was a bit hesitant at first, but as we taught the lesson and shared our knowledge and understanding with him, I felt the Spirit calmly confirm to me that this would go alright, that it was more than time to invite Duane to be baptized. So, after rousing some courage within myself, I decided to be the one to ask the question;

"Duane, will you follow the Savior's example, and be baptized by someone holding the proper priesthood authority?"

When we asked that question, Duane pretty much made a dodge move. However, in his dodge, he revealed to us some of his concerns—concerns that if he was baptized in the wrong church, he would come to regret it the rest of his life. At that point, Sister Salmond decided to speak up, and she bore a powerful testimony to Duane about the importance of baptism and how she knew how wonderful it would be for him to be completely cleaned. As she bore her testimony, the Spirit just filled the room we were in, and if I'm not mistaken, even Duane started to get a little weepy. Now, when Sister Salmond finished bearing her testimony and we left, Duane still hadn't accepted a firm baptismal date...but he didn't say no, either. So, I'm hopeful that when we next meet, he'll find that he is more ready than he first thought he was.

That actually brings me to my message for the week. Last week, I mentioned that the church had come out with a new Easter video, #Hallelujah. However, I didn't really go too in depth about the video, or what is so important to me about the video.

First, let's take the word. Hallelujah. If we're reading from the Old Testament prophets, we're sure to come across this word more than a few times, and if we're listening to great gospel music (especially Handel's Messiah), we're sure to exclaim it a few times with the choir singing as we're blasting it while driving to an appointment (okay, that one's just a missionary thing, but still). However, what does hallelujah even mean? In the Hebrew language, hallelujah is a word said in great praising. Literally, it means, "Praise be to Yahweh," or in other words, "Praise be to Jehovah." So, with that said, what reason do we have, from the video, to "Praise ye the Lord"?

The answer—every reason, but especially the atonement. My thoughts go back to the words in the Book of Isaiah, where Isaiah foresees the life of the Lord. "**Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted...he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.**" (Isaiah 53:4-5) With his stripes, we are healed. Christ, of his own volition, came down to earth, not just to teach and not just to lead others, but to do the unthinkable. To do the impossible. He completed the atonement, which allowed him to become our proxy for the weight of our sins and afflictions.

I have another scripture. Alma 7:11-13. "**And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.**"

Through Christ's atonement, we are healed. And not just healed, and not just cleaned, but everything about us can be changed and made better. He suffered, not just to take away our sin, but so that when we do sin, when we do fall short, and when we are encircled about by the mists of darkness, he could be there with us to help us stand back up again and walk back to the rod of iron. He could only do that if he experienced the full weight of the world on his shoulders. It was an impossible feat to perform, and even for the Son of God, it was something so painful that it caused him to bleed from every pore. But regardless of the pain, regardless of the anguish, Christ pushed through, because this atonement was for each and every one of us.

That is why we say hallelujah. That is why we show so much joy over both Easter and Christmas. Through Christ's birth, death, and resurrection, we now know that this road isn't a road we are walking alone. We have a Savior walking beside us every step of the way, and sometimes carrying us on his shoulders when we are too weak to walk ourselves even a step forward. I bear my witness of this truth, and with joy in my heart exclaim, as did the ancient prophets of old, "Praise ye the Lord, the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind!" This I say, in his holy name, even the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	90. March 29-April 4

Good morning universe and all that inhabit it! This is your handsome and charismatic host from the Colorado Fort Collins Mission, Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting in to y'all live from a local member's basement in the Prairie Ridge Ward. Once more, I'm here to review with y'all over the events of the past week and what made this week a joyful—or, barring that, an interesting experience. Luckily for you, though, this week was a joyful experience, so you won't have to hear me complain about all that made this past week rough for me and my companion, Elder Anderson. What you will hear, however, are a list of miracles and wondrous moments that made this week not only joyful, but a truly awesome week to experience as missionaries in the service of the Lord. So, without further ado, let's get started!

First let's go over to Tuesday of this past week. Right away, our day started out fast, with the two of us heading down the road to our kinda-progressing investigator, Roland. Brother Haynes, our Ward Mission Leader, was there with us to metaphorically 'turn up the heat' on Roland. In the past, we had received a feeling that Roland was understanding what we had to teach him with his head, but his heart wasn't as easily accessible. As the Disney movie goes, "the heart is a hard thing to change, but the head can be persuaded." We didn't want that for Roland, though. Like all we teach, we wanted him to feel the truth of our words in his heart, and feel the Spirit of the Lord change him.

So, we 'turned up the heat' a bit. We dug down deep in order to get to his religious roots and find out exactly what he himself believes, and if what we've been saying to him is truly sinking in, or if it's just a nice interpretation of religion that he has enjoyed listening to. Brother Haynes was really on fire, asking Roland some very powerful and thought-provoking questions—questions like whether he was still married to his wife, who had passed years ago, or if he would even see her again. We then bore a powerful testimony that we were there to share with him the truth—not an interesting opinion or a fascinating idea, but the one and only completely whole and true religion on the entire planet—and invited him to read the Book of Mormon to know of this truth for himself.

Since we last talked with Roland, he's been reading the Book of Mormon every night before he goes to bed, three pages at least. That's three more pages a night than he read in the past, so I feel that perhaps the words we are saying are finally sinking in, allowing the Spirit the chance to testify to him of the truth. I hope it is, and that he is listening to it.

The next day, Wednesday, was another incredible day. After an interesting fiasco which lasted for most of the morning and involved the other elders, our car, and a bus, we headed off to our lesson with Duane Morino and Monica Salmond, who I believe I have mentioned the last few weeks. Last week, even, I believe that I mentioned that Elder Anderson and I invited Duane to be baptized, which he neither accepted nor denied. Well, I am proud to say that after we had gotten the early meeting pleasantries out of the way and started getting down into the doctrinal message we had to share, Duane revealed that he accepted the invitation to be baptized. It's still a fairly tentative pursuit, but we have full faith that with committed scripture study and prayer, his desire will become truly firm and steadfast.

His acceptance of the baptismal invitation wasn't the only amazing part of our meeting, though. About halfway through our lesson, we slightly mentioned the priesthood, and both Duane and Monica mentioned that they had been discussing it with one another, and Duane had a desire also to wield the priesthood. Monica, as it so happens, is a couple-generations-descendant of Ephraim Hanks, an incredible figure in the early church's history. After hearing about the wonders and goodness Ephraim Hanks was able to bring about through the priesthood, Duane has started to desire to have that same power to preside, direct, and care for his soon-to-be-formed family with Monica and her children.

Now, how does that old church hymn go again? Ah, yes! "I stand all amazed." That's how I felt, hearing those words and feelings from Duane and Monica. While with Roland, it might be hard to tell if the words we are testifying of are entering into his heart, with Duane there is no doubt in my mind that the Spirit has been by his side, sharing our message with him even when we aren't there. To see that, and to feel that in my heart brought me so much joy and happiness. I was almost brought to tears of joy. Almost. So, we shared what we knew and understood about the priesthood, and invited him to, at an appropriate time after his baptism, receive the priesthood, which he gladly accepted. Once more, the joy in my heart that day was full.

Not much happened on Thursday, I am sad to say, but Friday was a wonderful day, once more filled with incredible moments of service. In the morning, we headed over to the Stake Center to distribute the Bishop's Storehouse food to those that came to receive of it. Duane and Monica came to help out—we had invited them after our lesson, as Monica was desirous to find some way to give back to the church for the good they had shown her. It was wonderful to see both Duane and Monica with so much joy and good-spiritedness in their countenances as they helped out. No doubt they felt the indescribable joy that comes from doing service for others.

Then, after all the food had been distributed and the tables had been folded up, us elders were enlisted to help Brother Johnson, one of the other volunteers, and his son. I think I've mentioned this debacle in the past, but basically Brother Johnson's son is moving to New York, and has been needing help packing up all of his music equipment and moving it out of his townhouse. Well, Friday was pretty much the last phase of his moving-out process, and they needed some extra arms to help in moving the keyboards and equipment to his studio across the city. It was a fairly long and hard work, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. And, we got some really nice pizza afterwords as a thank you. So, all in all, it was a very good day.

And finally, we get to the best part of the week—General Conference Weekend. Now, let me quickly apologize, my friends, for not inviting y'all to participate and watch the Conference. Those of you that are fellow members and part of my Ward family back home, I have no doubt that you were able to watch it and enjoy the wonderfully spiritual messages taught by the General Authorities, as well as the humorous moments that will no doubt be quoted for the rest of the year ('Celestial language'. Ha! Everyone knows the 'Celestial language' is Italian, Uchtdorf! Just ask my grandpa.). To those that didn't watch General Conference this past week, or don't even understand why we have it, may I share with you my testimony of it?

General Conference is the blessed time of year that we, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—and, to fully extend it, Children of the Almighty God—have to listen to the prophets and apostles called by our Lord and Master. We are able to hear the messages that those men and women have been prompted to share with us, and feel are most necessary for our day and age. Each message is unique and different—one speaker may focus on the divine role of fatherhood, while another might share his own personal testimony on the Plan of Salvation—but there is no doubt that each and every talk given and testimony born is for our benefit and our good. If we listen to the messages that are given, and take the messages into our hearts, we will receive the knowledge and instruction that God desires us to know.

I don't recall when I first started watching General Conference. It's always been a major event in my life. When I was younger, my parents would find fun and engaging games to keep us kids focused on the words our prophet and apostles said. As the years passed by, and as we got older, we were able to stay engaged completely on our own. We learned to love the prophet, be he Gordon B. Hinckley or Thomas S. Monson. We loved the Apostles, and as I grew older I came to eagerly anticipate the messages born by President Uchtdorf, President Nelson, Elder Holland, Elder Bednar, and Elder Christofferson (I look forward to all of the Apostles' addresses, but I look forward to those five's just a little more than the others).

Through those years of watching General Conference, I came to know for myself that the church was true, and that it was led by a prophet of the Lord, and man called by God to oversee the church in our day. The messages he and his fellow Apostles shared were messages for me personally. Perhaps they were not all meant to be that way, but by listening to their words, and to the words of the Holy Ghost who sat beside me and taught me, I learned exactly what I needed to know. Because of those experiences, I have grown as a man and as a man of God in more ways than I even can understand just yet.

To those of you who were not able to watch or listen to Conference, my invitation is simple—watch it. Listen to it. Hear the words the prophet and the Apostles have to share with us, and listen with an open heart. That way, the Spirit of the Lord can teach you from those words what you most need to know. To those of you who did watch Conference, or listen to it, my invitation is the same. Watch it again. Listen to it again. These messages are our modern-day scriptures, messages given from the prophets to benefit us in our circumstances. And, like all scripture, the more you pour over the messages given, the more messages you will find that pertain to you specifically. This I bear joyful testimony of, in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	91. April 5-11

Good morning, my dear friends, family, and acquaintances. Though the storm clouds are handing over Fort Collins this morning, it is still a very good and beautiful day in the world we are living in. It's me again, Elder Z. S. Weber, here reporting to you live from the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. This week, I am proud to announce that winter is finally (FINALLY!) over, and spring has sprung. And sprung it has, with all of the pollen and rainy weather it can bring with it. I mean, honestly, if I haven't been sneezing nonstop, then I've been listening to my companion sneeze nonstop, all while trying to not get too wet. So, it's definitely another beautiful day in Colorado!

Anyways, I'm certain all of you didn't come here today to listen to me harp about the weather, so let's get on with this past week, starting with Tuesday. After getting done with all of the studies we needed to go through that morning, we once more headed to the stake center for District Leader Council, and then Elder Anderson and I had to head to Windsor and the Mission Office for some quick business. Y'know how I mentioned last week that the other elders had gotten into a situation with our car and a bus? Well, that 'situation' was a small accident that caused the right side of our bumper to concave. That was back at the beginning of the Transfer. In order to still drive around, we had to trade our car out for another so our car could get fixed.

The only problem? The car they gave us needed repairs as well. Nothing too big, just a ding up in the front bumper, about a couple inches long, where the previous elders had ran into a fire hydrant or something. Anyways, last week, we were asked to take our new car to an auto-body and tune-up shop in Windsor to get the ding appraised. The ride was fairly long to get out there, though the appraisal went by fairly quickly. Turns out that whatever the past elders did to the car, they did a real good job, for such a small ding. The way it's positioned, it actually caused damage to another layer of the bumper under the exoskeleton, a layer that can't as easily be mended. So, most likely, in the next few week, we're gonna have to take another ride out to Windsor.

Though Tuesday was mostly marked by that small kerfuffle with the cars, Wednesday was a wonderful day, as once more we had the chance to teach our investigator, Duane. He and Monica had recently moved to a new house of their own across Fort Collins, so instead of meeting where we normally would, we decided to meet up at the Stake Center, that way it would be an even distance for the both of us to travel to. After getting inside and getting past some very amusing topics, including one about Duane's pet tarantula and a mantis it got in a fight with (don't ask me how we got to that, as I have no clear idea myself), we decided to get back down to the spiritual level and share the message we had prepared.

This time, we had felt prompted to share some of the commandments from the, surprise, Commandments section of our Missionary Lessons. We shared a few of our most important, in my opinion, commandments, including reading our scriptures, praying to Heavenly Father, following His prophet that is on the earth today, and keeping the Sabbath Day holy. After each of the different commandments, we invited Duane to follow and live them in his life. For the most part, he seemed willing to make these changes, even when it came to going to church on Sunday, though it seemed like Monica was going to need to help him get going. However, it was wonderful to watch the power of the atonement help to improve him.

Thursday was another great teaching day, as that morning we got a chance to go in and teach Roland once again. Once again, we sat with him in his living room and read the Book of Mormon with him. What was interesting about this lesson, though, was that both Elder Anderson and I felt that Roland was really starting to understand what the Book of Mormon was all about. Rather than us just stopping him and explaining what he had just read, every now and again he would actually stop himself and describe and explain what he understood was going on in what he was reading. And, after the lesson ended, and we were bearing testimony on how he can receive an answer as to whether the Book of Mormon is true or not, he, of his own free will, decided it would be a good idea to start praying before reading each night.

Um, can you say, wow?!

And then came Friday, with another round of service for myself and my fellow missionaries. As spring had indeed sprung, and the weather was clear again, Brother McKenzie, the member housing myself and Elder Anderson, decided to commission us to help him with some of the yard-work. We ended up spending most of the day out in his backyard, raking up pine needles and cleaning out under the trees, while Brother McKenzie got in his riding mower and took care of the lawn. After all that was said and done with, we had just enough time to get dressed into missionary-appropriate clothes and head off to dinner—which, actually, was a chili cook-off during the Taft Canyon Ward Pinewood Derby, which was made even more entertaining by the 'no rules' competition held by the fathers.

Ever seen a CO2 cartridge-propelled Pinewood Derby car? Neither had I, until that night. And, man, do they go fast!

So, that was pretty much how my week went. Which means it's time for the Spiritual Thought. Now, before I go any further, I want to explain that, while most of my thoughts tend to be light and humorous, this one might come across as a little more solemn or somber. If you choose to read ahead, remember, you have been warned.

Because of General Conference last week, this last Sunday (yesterday, in other words) was Fast Sunday. And while there were many moments throughout the day that made my Sabbath Day, as President Nelson has encouraged, 'a delight', there was one moment that really stood out for me. During the Fast and Testimony Meeting that Sacrament Meeting, one of those that decided to get up and bear his testimony was Brother Koenig, who I had known previously when I was serving in the Coal Creek Ward, his previous home Ward. He spoke of how he had just come back from a funeral of a dear friend in that Ward, a young man who had left a very young family behind. After talking with Brother Koenig after the meeting, I found that the man that had passed was Brother Rowberry, my Ward Mission Leader while in Coal Creek.

I don't believe I've mentioned Brother Rowberry very much in these weekly emails. If I did, I don't think I did much justice to the man that he was and is. Brother Jim Rowberry was, to put it in Brother Koenig's words, a spiritual giant. Always upbeat and positive, he was an incredible man, who loved his Father in Heaven and served Him faithfully in whatever calling he was given, whether it be Ward Mission Leader or simply a father to five very rambunctious children—the second-youngest of whom would often attempt to run off during Sacrament Meeting, which was very entertaining to watch every now and again. He was a great teacher in Gospel Principles, teaching powerful messages every week, and on Fast Sunday, he had some of the most powerful messages to share.

When I first heard that it had been him that had passed away, I was completely shocked. When I had last seen him, he had been so lively and upbeat. Yet here I was, six months later, hearing that he had passed from this mortal plane of existence. It took a while for the thought to truly sink in, but when it did, I had this comforting thought enter my mind; 'Well, if any man were to leave the mortal plane at such a young age, at least I can have confidence that the Lord has a special work for him in Heaven.' I have no doubt in my mind that as soon as Brother Rowberry crossed over the veil, he was given a spirit-missionary name-tag, received a new companion, and went to work sharing the gospel with those that never had the chance to accept it in this life. Who knows? Maybe he's even crossed paths with my grandfather up there.

As I've pondered over these thoughts these last couple of days, a certain scripture came into my head. **"His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."** (Matthew 25:21) What an incredible statement! Ever since I first read those words, who knows how long ago that was, I knew that was how I wanted my Father in Heaven to welcome me back. I want to know, with absolute surety, that the work I've done for Him in my mortal life has been a work that He is proud of, and that He is proud to call me one of His sons and to welcome me back to His embrace.

This doesn't just apply to my mortal life, either. Right now, I'm in the last four months of my mission, the last stretch. Most missionaries, at this point, would start holding back and getting distracted by going home. But me? I want my mission to be filled with incredible moments, even to the very end. And I want every calling after this to be filled with incredible moments, even to the very end. I want to fully live the callings my Father has given me. That way, when my time to hold them comes to an end, and I must move on to a new calling, either in this life or the life to come, I will hear Him say, in my mind and in my heart, "Well done, my son. You have done the work that I asked of you to do. Because of this, my joy is full."

May we all seek to hear those words, in this life, in the life to come, from our Beloved Heavenly Father, is my prayer, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	92. April 12-18

Good morning 'Merica, and all other countries in this beautiful world we all call home! This is Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting in once more from the Prairie Ridge/Taft Canyon Wards. I'm very glad to be here—mostly because it means I didn't die from my cold this last weekend. Honestly, there were a couple times where it was so bad I thought that I might lay my head down on my pillow and wake up in the Spirit World. However, the cold is pretty much all gone now, and I am feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready for another great week as a missionary.

Now, I must apologize, but this week I don't have as much to talk about. I know, you guys don't like hearing that from me, but there just wasn't a lot that happened this week. Not for lack of trying, though. At the beginning of the week, we had a lot planned out. As this was likely to be our last week as companions, we wanted to go out on a high note and work as hard as we could to leave a good, lasting impression for the next set of missionaries to come into our area. However, over the week, pretty much all of our plans flew out the window, our appointments were cancelled, and we were left on our own.

Now, that's not to say that we didn't do anything this week. Most of our week ended up getting consumed by different service opportunities. Brother McKenzie, the member Elder Anderson and I are living with, had a lot of yard work he needed to take care of before the 'big' spring storm rolled in. And with two sets of missionaries readily available to help out, the yard work went by fairly well, once we were all coordinated. And, once more, we helped out with the distribution of food from the Bishop's storehouse. However, for the most-part, this past week was pretty slow for us in terms of missionary work.

So much for going out on a high note.

After all the service opportunities came to an end, and all of our appointments fell through, we finally found ourselves at Saturday evening, the moment we had been waiting for all week. Transfer information finally came in, and what a change was to be had. First of all, the entire Zone is getting changed up, with even our Zone Leaders, as great as they are, getting swept out and two new Zone Leaders getting swept in. As I had suspected, Elder Anderson and I are soon to no longer be companions, and Elder Anderson is headed up to Riverton, Wyoming. My new companion is another Elder by the name of Elder Pember, whose name sounds familiar, but I haven't a clue who it might be.

So, yeah, that was my week. Again, I'm sorry that there isn't more to report on, but that's just how this week went. Some weeks just are slow ones, though we wish it weren't so. However, even with the slow week dampening our mood a bit, I still have a quick spiritual thought to share with all y'all.

A few weeks ago was the 186th Annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I've always enjoyed the talks given during the conferences, and often reread ones that have a great impact on me in my life. This week, however, I've found myself thinking about the talk given by Bonnie L. Oscarson, the Young Woman General President. In her talk, she spoke of a young boy who was being sent to the hospital due to terrible pneumonia. His mother was flying in the helicopter with him, and could hear that her son's condition was truly dire.

"**In this critical moment, [the young mother] noticed they were flying directly over the Draper Utah Temple. From the air, she looked out across the valley and could also see the Jordan River Temple, the Oquirrh Mountain Temple, and even the Salt Lake Temple in the distance. The thought came into her mind: "Do you believe it or not?"**" (Bonnie L. Oscarson, _Do I Believe?_, 2016 April General Conference)

Recently, as Elder Anderson and I have gone about with our missionary work, we often come in contact with less-active or inactive members. Though often friendly towards us, as we talk with them we find that the spiritual light of the gospel has disappeared from their eyes. They often say that they believe the church to be a good 'institution', but that the information they give as truths aren't real. They believe that the Book of Mormon, while having good moral truths in it, didn't actually happen. Some even go so far as to disbelieve in the existence of a Plan of Salvation, a Savior, and even a Loving Heavenly Father.

As I listen to these men and women who have turned away from the church, I find myself asking the same question that came to the young mother in Ssiter Oscarson's talk. "Do you believe it or not?" I am so proud and so grateful that I can say, without any doubt in my mind, that I DO believe it. I know, with absolute certainty, that the Book of Mormon is truly God's word given to us, and that every event spoken of in its pages truly happened. I know that there truly is a Plan of Salvation, written by our great Heavenly Father above, to bring about the eternal happiness and salvation of mankind. I know that my Savior lives, and that someday soon, he will return to reign in power and majesty.

For those of you who don't know as surely of these truths, I would ask that you seek them out. Our Father in Heaven is a being who loves us dearly, and is willing to shower knowledge and blessings upon our heads, if we are willing to receive them, and seek them out for ourselves. Read the Book of Mormon, pray to understand it, and watch as the secrets of our God are unfolded before you. I can promise you that if you do seek after these truths, you will come to know them for yourself. This I bear jubilant testimony of, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	93. April 19-25

Hello and good morning! It is another lovely day in Colorado, a perfect day to end the past week and start anew. I'm your charming host, Elder Z. S. Weber, here reporting to all y'all once again from the Prairie Ridge/Taft Canyon Wards. There have been a lot of changes that have come around since the last time I spoke with y'all. The first, and possibly the greatest change is that our dear friends Elder Anderson and Elder Chan are no longer with us. With the new transfer season coming to a close, our friends have moved on to greater and brighter things up in Wyoming, and we pray that their time up there will be well spent.

However, though we hope well for Elder Anderson and Elder Chan, I'm honestly more worried for myself and Elder Christenot, and the change coming to us in our areas. For these past three months, it was always us four amigos, striking it out together in our three areas. Now, our numbers had been cut in half, and new members to replace our lost teammates have come in. How well this transfer goes is very dependent on how well we get along with our new companions, and how much drive the four of us will have in our areas to keep the work rolling onwards. How's that going so far, you might ask? Well, let's start from the beginning of the week, shall we?

After loading all of Elder Anderson's and Elder Chan's stuff into the car and taking the half-hour drive down to the Windsor building for Transfers, we bid a hearty farewell to our friends, Elder Anderson and Elder Chan. Nearly immediately after bidding them farewell, I came across my new companion, Elder Pember. After getting our introductions out of the way, we spoke with our Zone Leaders and decided to head our on our own, leaving Elder Christenot to wait for his new companion with the other elders at the Windsor building. Once Elder Pember's bags were all packed into the car, we headed back home to see what could be done.

Mostly, that day was spent getting Elder Pember moved in and making certain that all of our ducks were in a row for the work ahead of us. However, after we finished our dinner that night and headed out, we had a chance to meet with the Ward Mission Leader in the Taft Canyon Ward, Brother Lickiss. It was a good chance to see how we as missionaries could help out in the Ward, and what things we should try to do more of to help the Ward get more excited or involved in missionary work. He offered a lot of helpful advice that he had seen work well in the area, and his wife, who was one of the Ward Missionaries, offered some helpful hints that she had heard from others.

The next day didn't really give us a good chance to put these plans or advice into action, as much of the day was swallowed up in meetings. First was our District Meeting, which was mostly just a meet-and-greet event. We got the chance to know all of the new Elders in our District, including the new Zone Leaders Elder Fraser and Elder Grossarth and Elder Christenot's new companion, Elder Swann. Then, after we had a chance to know each other better and set some good goals for the rest of the month, Elder Pember and I headed off to our District Leader Council, which gave us a chance to set some new, progressive goals for the entire Zone.

Thursday gave us a chance to get out and try to work our area some. After finding a good place to park our car, Elder Pember and I grabbed our bags and headed out into one of the nearby neighborhoods to start tracting and getting to know our area a little better. We didn't see a lot of success, as most everyone we came in contact with had just about the same response to us—"Not Interested." However, it was a good chance to get out and see the area a bit more, and see how the people in our area reacted to missionaries. It also gave us a chance to meet with our members outside of the Sacrament Meeting and see what we can do to help them in their missionary efforts.

However, though we were able to meet a lot of people, I would be lying if I said that this was a very successful week. We didn't manage to teach a lot of lessons this week, and those we were able to talk with and share messages with weren't actually willing to truly listen to our messages. If I were to single out one thing that made this week really difficult for us to work with was just how poor our planning time was spent. Even when we did write down plans, we wouldn't always keep them, and then would find ourselves a few hours later sitting in the car, staring blankly ahead of us, wondering what we should do.

It was Saturday evening that we managed to spark a change in us. After spending much of the week in a terrible bout of depression, we decided that we couldn't just lazy about all day. We actually had to try and put our nose to the grindstone in order to see any sparks from the work. As we went out and served, I could feel my depression and resentment to the work lift off of my shoulders. I was more willing to get out and open my mouth. By the time the evening was over, and we were heading over to where the Harmony Elders were to close the evening with frozen yogurt treats, the cloud of depression was completely gone, and I felt confident once more.

As I've thought over this experience, I've been reminded of a message I saw on one of the walls of the MTC while I was still training back twenty months ago. The message was this: "**One of the greatest secrets of missionary work is****_work_****. If a missionary works, he will get the Spirit; if he gets the Spirit, he will teach by the Spirit; if he teaches by the Spirit, he will touch the hearts of the people, and he will be happy… Work, work, work—there is no satisfactory substitute, especially in missionary work.**" (Ezra Taft Benson, _The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson_).

How true that statement is! Here I was, worrying about the planning and getting everything perfectly right. I was afraid that if I went out and went to the work that I wouldn't be ready. I realize that it's a silly thought, as I've been on my mission for the last twenty months, but y'know, some old anxieties die hard. Yet it would only be through actually throwing myself out into the work that I would actually be ready for the work. It's an interesting paradox to think about, something that I've been thinking about a lot for these past few days. It's only by turning outward that our spiritual burdens can be lightened and our insecurities washed away.

That is my message for this week. As someone who has experienced this for himself, I can truly state that this is a true principle. If we simply get out there and get to work, whatever work it might be that our Lord wants us to do, our burdens will be lightened and we will feel more joy and peace in our spirits. I pray that we will all seek for that peace and joy in our lives, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	94. April 26-May 2

Good Morning Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and any other planet willing to listen in today. Once more, it is your favorite missionary with the last name 'Weber' reporting in from the Prairie Ridge and Taft Canyon Wards. Yep, you guessed it. It's me, Elder Z. S. Weber. It's been a pretty long seven days since the last time we talked with each other. Heck, it almost feels like an entire month has passed by...though that might more be because I wrote this in April, and we are now in May. However, thought the week was long, it was also very profitable, and much more enjoyable than last week was. If words could show the expressions of their writers, each one of these words you are reading right now would have a beaming smile from the joy their writer felt this week.

As I stated in my last email, things were pretty bleak for me and my new companion, Elder Pember. We had a lot of investigators that were coming along very well. They were progressing and learning and growing. And then, right around the time that Elder Pember came in and joined me here, pretty much everyone we had been working with decided that they needed a little break from us. Those that were still on board with getting taught either had things going on, so we could never teach them, or they ended up moving to another area of the Zone. So we were pretty much left with whatever teaching pool we could fish in that was left over...and the investigators that lurk in that pool don't like to rise to the surface much, let alone even try to nibble on the lines we cast in for them.

So, last week was really rough, and I have to be honest here when I say that we had some moments where we just felt like doing nothing. It was a very depressing state to be in, at least for me, and I found myself questioning why I'm still out here working when it seems like nothing is going on. Sadly, that state of thinking continued for about half of this last week as well. We had managed to get some plans set in place, but our planning skills were still subpar, and we struggled in the actually getting out and getting our work done part. It was very tough, and still I found myself questioning why I was still out. I don't think I've ever prayed as much as I did during those last few days when my spirit so much longed to do the work yet my mortal so much longed to do anything but.

And then something changed. I guess it mostly happened through an exchange that Elder Grossarth and I had in my area. Apparently, Elder Pember had been feeling the same disappointment and discouragement that I was feeling, and wanted us to have our exchanges with the Zone Leaders a lot sooner in the transfer than usual. So, we decided to set up that the end of the week, Friday and Saturday to be most accurate, would be spent in an exchange between the four of us. Elder Grossarth came to my area, and the first thing we ended up having to do was gather the other elders (Elders Christenot and Swann) and take them up to this member's apartment where we were helping them move out.

Did I mention that this was going on during the rain? Yeah, that was interesting.

Regardless, we got the move done, and got most of the large stuff moved into their new house when we had to leave to get to dinner. After dinner, then, Elder Grossarth and I discussed what would be the most effective way to spend the exchange. I mentioned that we had been struggling (especially me) with bolstering and rallying a desire to do the work of the Lord. He suggested that we go out and tract for a while, do some serious finding. Again, there was quite a good deal of rain outside. Not only that, but I don't think I've mentioned how much I loathe tracting. I would be willing to do anything rather than stand out on a person's front porch, listen to them curse out the religion I love with all my heart before slamming the door in my face.

And I really didn't want to do it while getting drenched by the rain.

However, we needed to get a fresh and new teaching pool to work with. The only way that was going to happen—short of Heavenly Father dropping about a dozen people on our front porch—was if we went out and sought out those to work with ourselves. So, I decided to level with Elder Grossarth, and we agreed that if we found two of God's children who were willing to listen to us and our message, we would then return home and finish the day with a good planning session to close our day.

What happened, though, was incredible. We decided to go tracting in this trailer park not that far from our home. While we still got some curse words thrown our way, had a few doors slammed in our faces, and got pretty wet, it was a great experience. We met several people (about five or so) who were willing to listen to us and hear us out at least for a few minutes. We even set up appointments to meet with them this coming week. I was very thankful to be the prepared instrument for the Lord during those moments when it was my turn to speak, and when I was able to bear my personal testimony on the truths of this church which I hold so dear to my heart. At the end of the night, we had about two new investigators to work with, and at least four we could meet later in the coming week.

That wasn't the end of it, either. By Sunday, we had part-member families we were setting up appointments with, members that were wanting to come back to church, and lessons with members that we hoped would flourish into wonderful chances to teach the gospel to those their friends that they were preparing. It just made me so grateful to see that where we had previously had nothing to work with and were drowning in a sea of our own despair, now we had those we could teach. Now we had children of our Father who were willing to listen and to learn, who had been prepared to accept our message and take it into their homes and their families.

Through all of this, my thoughts have come back to a phrase I said while tracting with Elder Grossarth Friday night. As the rain had poured down and as we had marched from one house to the other, I couldn't help but revel in this wonderful feeling of joy that was blossoming inside of me. The work was long and tedious, yet I couldn't help but smile. It was going well, it really was, and I felt so glad that we had decided to go out and at the very least try to find children of our God to bring back to Him. At some point, Elder Grossarth asked if I was glad, and how I was feeling. I conveyed these same thoughts I've already shared with you with him, and then I said something that will forever be etched in the small plates of Great Weber Quotes.

"If I can do this in the rain, I can do this anytime."

That is a bold statement, but it's true. If ever after this moment I felt depressed because I didn't want to go out tracting or talking to some of our less-than-potential investigators, I could now always look back on this moment. I could remember the joy I had felt as I and Elder Grossarth walked from house to house, getting drenched from head to toe and meeting my brothers and sisters in the spirit. Sure, not all of them were willing to listen. But there were some that were ready and prepared to take the message into their hearts. My faith in tracting grew a little, and while I still think there are much better ways to get very strong investigators, I could no longer say that tracting was a completely useless endeavor.

I'm certain you are all thinking now, "this is all well and good for you, Elder Weber, but I'm not a missionary, so this doesn't really apply to me." Actually, it does apply to you, and I'll explain why. What I'm talking about here isn't just TRACTING. The point I'm trying to get across is the principle of OBEDIENCE. As missionaries, we are asked—or rather, commanded—to fill our days with moments of effective missionary work. We have been called to serve for two years, and we are expected to spend those two years doing as much of the work as we possibly can. If we disobey this commandment, our missions are depressing times in our lives, and we miss out on so many chances for the Lord to bless and teach us. When we return home, we will feel so disappointed in ourselves for not doing more.

The same is true in life. If we don't follow the commandments and choose not to listen to our Father in Heaven, then our lives lack that wondrous joy that He so much wishes to give to us. Certainly, we can find ways to keep ourselves happy during our lives—missionaries employ the same tactics by playing games or watching movies (more things that they shouldn't be doing, but have brought them pleasure in the past)—but we won't have access to that wondrous joy that stays with us regardless of our situations. Eventually, we will return to our Heavenly home above, back to the presence of our Heavenly Father, and have a full recollection of what we did and did not do while on Earth. While I have no proof otherwise, I can't help but feel that the more moments of joy we realize we missed out on in our lives, the more depressed and disappointed in ourselves we will become.

Therefore, be obedient. The secret to joy in this life is to obey the commandments of God. "**There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.**" (Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21) So long as we are obedient to the Lord's commandments, we can be assured that the blessing will pour down upon us, as did the rains on that day when I learned what a delight tracting can be. It might not be easy to change our hearts and to willingly obey our Father. But nothing in life that is worth doing is ever easy—and there is nothing as worth doing in this life than seeking after that wondrous and eternal joy our Father has in store for us. This I bear my witness of, in his son's holy name, even the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	95. May 3-9

Hey everyone! It's-a me, your favorite nerdy missionary from the Colorado Fort Collins Mission, Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting in to you from the McKenzie's basement in the Prairie Ridge and Taft Canyon Wards. Today is a wonderful day for me and Elder Pember, my dear friend and companion. Now, there are several reasons for this, but perhaps the greatest one is that today is the last day of the week for us missionaries. Today we get to pack up all that went on this last week, put it aside in storage or somewhere where we won't need it, and refocus our efforts on the coming week. It allows us to start fresh, feel renewed, and seek after newer, fresher goals with a brighter outlook on our attempts to be incredible missionaries in the work.

Now, with that being said, I do have to admit that this past week was a rough one. Not so much because all of our plans flew out the window or anything like what I've said in weeks past. Rather, it was because we had so much going on this week that we really didn't get a chance to just sit and breathe. I wouldn't mind this so much if it had been a lot of teaching appointments that we were rushing around to—well, actually, maybe I would—but most of our week wasn't actually spent in teaching. Instead, we had a lot of meetings and appointments with the other missionaries in our area that we had to rush off to. And for me, rushing around to meetings seems to put a much bigger drain on my personal battery than other missionary duties.

So what all left me so drained this past week? Well, for starters, on Tuesday we had our usual DLC with the Zone Leaders. Not that bad, until they mentioned to us that we had interviews with the Mission President that very next day, and we hadn't heard anything about it yet. Because Wednesday's are my District's District Meeting day, we had to find a way to reorganize our schedule to fit both the Meeting and the Interviews together. It actually went over really well. We had a pretty good District Meeting, probably one of the best that I've had all my mission, and our interviews with the mission president went over really well. This one was perhaps the shortest I've had yet, clocking in at only about 10 minutes at the most!

However, the meetings didn't stop there. In the very day that we were having our interviews, the Harmony Elders were needing me to interview one of their investigators to see if they were truly ready to be baptized. This was scheduled right before we were going to an appointment we had with an investigator of our own, which ended up falling through. On Friday, we also had another appointment where we had to take the Harmony Elders to the Stake Center for their baptism, and then right after had to go to dinner, and immediately afterwords go back to the Stake Center to interview one of the Zone Leaders' investigators for baptism. Then on Saturday, we were going to attend the Zone Leaders' baptism, but we ended up getting roped into helping the Harmony Elders with service.

After all that, I definitely needed a breather.

Now, in the past I have stated that attending Sacrament Meeting and the other church meetings that follow it is a great way to recharge my battery. And, yes, I still believe that is the case...but after spending a week of rushing around to appointments and meetings, spending a Sabbath Day rushing around to appointments and meetings didn't work out that well. I mean, yes, partaking of the sacrament is something I am always glad to be privileged to do, and the talks and lessons given by those who were called on to teach that week are always great and very instructive. But still, I just needed some time to just rest and unwind. To just let go of the stress of the past week and get pumped up for the next week.

I guess that's what P-Day's all about, actually...

Luckily, I didn't have to wait until P-Day to get that rest that I needed. As I stated at the beginning of my email today, there were a number of things that made the end of this past week great. While the foremost of it is that the week is over, definitely a close runner-up was the wonderful chance that I had to Skype my family and talk with them face-to-screen-to-face. In case I haven't mentioned this in my past emails, the two greatest days of the year for missionaries are Christmas Day and Mother's Day, because on both of these wonderful days, we have the chance to Skype home to our families, talk with them, joke around, tell stories, and share in the love we have for each other.

This last Skype was especially special to me, because this was the last Skype that I would ever have on my mission. Exactly three months from today (so long as President Brown sticks with the release date set in mind), I will be boarding a plane back to Salt Lake City, Utah, and going home to be released from my mission. It's a reality that is very hard for me to accept, because I always believe that it would never happen to me. When other missionaries at the beginning of my mission would stand in Zone Conferences to give their departing testimonies, I always had that thought in the back of my mind that I would never be like that. My mission looked like it was going to last forever. And now, here we are, nearing the finish line.

With that thought in mind, I would like to spend my Spiritual Thought of the week speaking on a truth that has had an enormous impact on me on my mission. These few chances that I've had to Skype home with my family have been truly wonderful chances for me. I've felt so blessed to be able to have the technology available to be able to speak to my parents and my little (not so little anymore, though) sisters and see how they are doing. Sure, it only comes around once every six months or so, but any chance to see my family and to talk with them is a moment that is worth more to me than any amount of success or notoriety.

Thinking about how special these moments to Skype with my parents on my mission has been for me, I often find myself thinking back to a quote I heard in a Harry Potter movie (please bear with me, I promise, it has something to do with the message). When Harry was learning how to fight Dementors in The Prisoner of Azkaban, he was required to think of his happiest memory, a hard task for a boy who hasn't had that happy a childhood. After a few failed attempts, he finally is able to drive off the pseudo-Dementor that he is training on. When asked what memory he used, Harry stated; "It was of me and my parents. We weren't doing anything, really, just...talking with each other. That's it. Not sure if it can count as a real memory...but it's the best that I've got."

That's sort of how I feel when I think of these few moments of Skyping while on the mission. I'm pretty sure that if you ask me ten years from now—or even just ten months or weeks from now—what all we talked about during these Skypes, I probably wouldn't be able to give you a good answer. And to me, that's okay. I'm just grateful that I have had a chance to add more wonderful memories of my family to my ever-growing mental library. Just the memory of being able to sit in front of my iPad and just talk with my family about anything, be it how the mission is going or what we need to do to get me ready for college or what new fandom my sisters have gotten themselves into, is a memory that I consider more valuable than anything else.

While thinking of that, my heart soars with joy that I also know the profound truth that this wonderful family of mine, which brings me so much happiness in life, will not break apart in the life to come. Because we were sealed to each other for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple, I know with absolute surety that when we pass through the veil into the next stage of our eternal life, we will be together as a family still. This time we've spent together as a family on earth is just the beginning. As long as we are faithful to the covenants and promises we have made to our Almighty Father in Heaven, we shall always be together.

To those of you who can't say the same now, don't be discouraged or faint of heart. You are a part of an enormous family, the Family of God, and have innumerable brothers and sisters who love you dearly, both here on earth and in Heaven above. Perhaps you do not have the most ideal family situations. Perhaps you feel alone in this world. Perhaps you feel that you will never know of the joy and love that comes from the families you see around. My plea to you, my brothers and sisters, is to be of good comfort. The Lord loves, the Father loves you, and there are siblings in Heaven that love you. Even here on earth, you have friends and companions who come into your life to lift you and to help carry your burdens.

I cannot pretend to know why some people in life are given situations that are harder than others. I can't begin to understand. But this I do know. Our Father in Heaven intends us to be filled with everlasting joy. It's all that He ever thinks about. Perhaps you do not have that joy now, but if you seek after it and put your trust in God, He will give it to you. Never give up. You are a part of an incredibly vast family that is cheering you on with the voices of angels. You are a child of God. That is something to be filled with joy over. This I say in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	96. May 10-16

Good Mornin', 'Merica! This is your favorite missionary, fantasy author, and japanerd serving in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission...and if you have more than one of those, then it's the one whose name starts with 'W' and ends with 'eber'. What a wonderful week we have had this past week! It has been an incredible experience for both myself and Elder Pember as we have gone out into our areas in the Taft Canyon and Prairie Ridge Wards. The work seems to be picking itself up, and we are finding more success as we go out and put our shoulder to the wheel. It seems that this is an ongoing pattern for me: I have a week that goes really well, followed by one or two that are just terrible. Hope this pattern doesn't stick for when I get back home...

Anyways, let's get on with the week! First stop: Tuesday!

Now, like most Tuesdays that I end up reporting on since being called as a District Leader, one of the main events of Tuesday was heading in to our District Leader Council. Most of the council was rather familiar—we talked about how our goals were shaping up on, what sorts of trainings we should focus on for this upcoming week, how our areas and our missionaries were doing and what we could do to help them be even better. I wasn't anticipating it going much further than that. While I truly enjoy going to DLC (and not just because it gives me something to do in the early hours of the day), I do have to say that it can be fairly predictable.

So imagine my surprise when they revealed to all of us that they actually had some news they needed to bring to our attention. The news was that President Brown was feeling rather disgruntled with how the missionaries were spending their time on their iPads. They would spend much of their time scrolling through the App Catalog, looking at the new games coming out, or asking Siri to bring up Movie Trailers to watch during the waning hours of the evening. While the news didn't affect me (most of my time is spent in Notes), it would mean that unless the mission made incredible progress and change, certain apps would be taken off of the iPad, or at least blocked.

As a DLC we spent much time discussing what could be done. We eventually came to the conclusion we revealed in our Zone Meeting on Thursday (skipping Wednesday...nothing happened). After giving it much thought and counsel, we decided that the mission had grown too lax in following a set of guidelines we had as missionaries with iPads, known as the Safeguards for Technology. We had grown to be slothful servants, or rather disobedient servants, choosing instead to do that which we found pleasure in rather than doing that which the Lord finds joy in. We needed to improve ourselves, not just to keep our apps, but to keep ourselves safe.

After the discussion came to an end and we headed off on our own ways, Elder Pember and I found ourselves heading back out into our areas. It was a very tiresome and frustrating time, as we didn't find anything—not one soul that was interested (I feel like there is a scripture that closely relates to this). We went clear up until this evening, when we were scheduled to meet with a Less-Active member and his Non-Member wife. We had been asked by the Bishop of the Taft  
Canyon Ward to go and visit them, to teach the Less-Active member the lessons so that he could feel more at ease at returning to church, and help his wife understand what goes on at church.

What happened, though, was miraculous (again, this feels a lot like certain scripture I know*). We decided to teach the Message of the Restoration, and as it turned out Kathy (the non-member wife) was very interested in learning about this. She just about ate up everything we taught, and listened very closely to what we had to share. She asked a lot of great questions, as did her husband, Ralph. And Ralph, though he had been away from the church for years, was able to add a lot of great comments to the message. Finally, at the end of the discussion, we felt prompted to invite Kathy to be baptized, and she said yes! She's going to aim for baptism on the 2nd of July! How incredible is that?!

Finally, to end the week on a high note, Elder Pember and I were asked to go out with the Zone Leaders for, as they called it, a Finding Blitz. Basically, we split up for about a half-hour in one of the neighborhoods in our area and just tract for that short space of time. We had a goal to find three investigators and teach a few lessons. Now, I do have to admit that I went into this a bit rubbed the wrong way, as they had just dropped this on us unexpectedly. However, it proved to be a great way to end our week, as we had some great messages we were able to share, and we met a lot of interesting people, including some that were interested in hearing our message!

So, that was our week! Like I said before, it's really starting to look as though the work is moving forward in our areas. It's a new experience for me, as for most of my mission, the movement of the work could easily be equated to a sloth trying to walk through molasses. To actually see some forward motion now, though, is great, and something I'm very thankful for.

Now, before I forget about it, we still have one last message to share today. Yes indeed, ladies and gentlemen, once again we are here for the Spiritual Thought. Now, this week there were a lot of great messages that I heard and were shared by others. However, of all of these, I think the most important message I could share this week is the one mentioned in the subject—Agency and Accountability.

As I stated earlier in this email, the focus of our meetings this week has been to improve our usage of our devices. While there are many missionaries that use the iPads for what they are meant to be used for, there are also many other missionaries that use the iPads for entertainment purposes. Because of this, the mission is reemphasizing the importance of following the safeguards given to us, and applying them into our usage of our devices. It is their hope that through this action, as well as the threat of taking away certain apps from our iPads, that we will become a much better mission, spending our time on our purpose as missionaries in the work.

However, this challenge to improve our usage of technology isn't just for us missionaries, and isn't just applicable during the mission. As I'm sure everyone reading this is aware of, there are both good ways and bad ways to use technology. Nearly anyone can tell you that the Internet and social media have great potential both for good and for evil. However, while it might be easier (and incredibly obvious) to choose the good over the evil, this digital battle of ours isn't just a black-and-white scenario. There are varying levels of good, of how to spend our time online and on our devices. The real secret, then, is to know which good to choose.

While I could go through a big epic speech on this, with powerful motivational music thundering out from behind me, it's probably easiest to remind us that we have our own agency. The greatest (and sometimes worst) gift our Father has ever given us is our agency—the ability to make our own decisions. What comes with that agency, however, is our accountability. Perhaps you have heard the statement "Where much is given, much is required." That is how accountability  
works. We have to remember that we have much to owe our Heavenly Father—the air we breathe, the water we drink, the warm homes we live in, and those we share them with. The more blessings and knowledge He gives us, the more he will require from us.

Therefore, it's always important to remember that while on technology—or, to expand past that, anything in this life. We are the children of the Almighty God, and He has a marvelous work for us to do. This work should be at the forefront of our attention. Indeed, it should eventually become our work as well. In this way, we must be accountable to our Father. Ask yourself this question; "How am I spending the time my Father has given me?" If you need to improve (which, #spoileralert!, we all do), seek out ways to improve how you spend your time. Our Father gave us our agency with good reason. Let's use it to actually seek to do some good in this world of ours.

Our time on this earth is short. We don't have much time to do the things that we want to do. But I know with absolute surety that if we put the Lord first, and do His work, we will find the time to do those things that matter most. And I'm not just talking about Family Indexing, or preparing Talks for Sunday. The Lord wants us to be happy, to be filled with joy. It is His promise to us that if we put Him first in our lives, then shall we find time for our families, for our friends, and for the things that bring us individually happiness in this life.

This I bear my personal witness of, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	97. May 17-23

Good morning my friends and family, and any others that have come to read this email today. 'Tis I, the ever witty and wise-cracking Elder Z. S. Weber, coming at you live from the McKenzie's basement in Fort Collins, Colorado. Today marks the end of another long and laborious week spent out in the Lord's vineyard. Hours have been spent this past week, working in the fields, nurturing the seeds and the sprouts that we've been caring for over the past few months. The work of a missionary is a hard one, I have come to know very well. However, in that same breath, I also know with absolute certainty that it is one of the most rewarding works we can be a part of. Above all else I have felt on my mission, I have felt overwhelming joy and thankfulness for being a part of this great and marvelous latter-day work.

Now, while those stirring words are still present—along with the epic orchestral music that surely must have accompanied them in the backs of your minds—I do have to say that this was, once more, a long and hard week. Though we had many great and wonderful plans, one way or another our plans fell through. People either weren't home, or they had gotten sick and couldn't meet with us, or we got caught up in something else and ended up being behind on our schedules. We really struggled this week. It's hard to sing to yourself "I'll go where you want me to go, Dear Lord," when everywhere you feel you are sent, you come back with empty hands and a tired heart.

However, in spite of that, there were some moments of joy to be had this week. This past Wednesday, Elder Swann and I went on exchanges, and I went to his area to kind of see how things were going over there. Perhaps I was a bad luck charm this week or something, but no matter where we went in his area, we did not find any success. However, the very next day, we were asked to help out with a move. After grabbing the other elders to assist us, we headed over to the  
placed and helped the small family move most of their belongings into their building. It was a nice break for us missionaries. Rather than having to think about the work and what was required of us that day, we could simply sit back and unwind, helping out with some simple service.

We got another chance to serve on Saturday. Apparently, a member had come to one of the other District Leaders in our Zone and asked him if he could gather the missionaries in our area together to help out with a children's fun-run at a local school. We were asked to sit or stand at major corners on the streets and sort of direct the traffic so that the kids running or biking wouldn't be hit by on-coming traffic, or wouldn't take a wrong turn and somehow end up in Loveland, several miles south of us. Once more, it was a nice way to just not have to worry about the work aspect of missionary work. And if that weren't enough for us, nothing's better than a big pancake breakfast after some fun service.

Other than that, though, this week has been a long one. To be honest, I couldn't tell you what I most was able to get out of it. I guess the one message that sticks in my mind is the principle of work. While this has been a very hard week, I cannot say that it has been a bad one. Certainly, it could've gone much better. We could've had all of our planned lessons work out and met with all of our investigators this week. However, still we were able to find joy in the Lord as we went and did the things that He asked of us. The work is as hard as it has ever been, and I don't care if you're in America or Argentina, it's always a hard work. But as I said before, there is nothing more rewarding and more satisfying than this work.

Sorry for the short message this week. Again, not much happened, and honestly I don't have much of a spiritual thought to share this week. However, we have a lot of good plans AND back-up plans for this next week. Hopefully, the next time we hear from each other, I'll have another one of my infamously long and profound messages to share with all y'all. Until then, have a great week, and Stay Epic, My Friends!

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	98. May 24-30

Good morning, 'Merica! This is your ever-charismatic and clever Colorado Fort Collins Missionary, Elder Z. S. Weber! I am reporting to you here, live from the McKenzie's basement in the Prairie Ridge Ward. However, this will be the last time that I do this, as tomorrow is transfers. Yeah, that's right. Six weeks have come and gone so very fast since the last time I mentioned transfers, and now here we are again. What changes should we look forward to tomorrow? Where will friends new and old move on for new areas? What will happen to the incredible team of missionaries known as the Taft Canyon District?

Well, I could answer all of those questions now...but first, let's go on to the week!

First, let's start out with Tuesday. Now, there were a lot of things that happened this last Tuesday, and to be honest Tuesday was perhaps the most effectively spent day this week. As usual, those of us that were District Leaders gathered together for our District Leader Council. After discussing the goals we would set for this new month we are going into, we were asked to discuss how implementing the Safeguards for Technology into our missionary lives has improved us since the last time we made mention of them. After hearing some fairly good reports from everyone, the Zone Leaders suggested we do the same in our District Meetings this week.

After our meeting was done, we went on to do some tracting and finding, which we must admit wasn't that successful. However, we were successful in being able to meet with our investigator Harleen that afternoon. Now, with Harleen, we have to admit that there hasn't been a lot of forward progression with her. She asks good questions, but hasn't been keeping the commitments that we've left with her. We decided to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and explain to her what is important for her from the gospel. We then invited her to pray to her Heavenly Father over whether she should be baptized into our church or not.

After that lesson with Harleen, we went on our way to our dinner—which just so happened to also be an investigator of ours. Because we were having a lesson with Kathy and Ralph that evening, they decided that it would be nice to feed us, and then after dinner we could teach the lesson. The meal was great, and we enjoyed the chance we'd had to get to know Ralph and Kathy a bit better. However, when it came time for the lesson, we had a little bit of a hang-up. You see, we had wanted to have another member come with us to the lesson to help the Williams feel more welcome at church. But the member we called got lost.

After waiting a while to find him, and finding ourselves unsuccessful in calling or texting him our location, we decided to just go in and share our message that we had prepared. Though it started off a bit rocky, our lesson went fairly well. We taught about the Plan of Salvation, and how it relates to Kathy and Ralph in their lives. It seemed that they were really understanding what we were sharing with them. Kathy, at one point, even said that she really liked how we explained the afterlife. It sounded more hopeful to her than other religions. Rather than just Heaven and Hell, we know that even if we end up failing, we will receive a Heaven that we will be most comfortable in.

The next was Wednesday, and like I mentioned earlier and in past emails, Wednesday is District Meeting Day. This District Meeting was fairly good, as we spent it discussing what makes a planning session good, how to set good and approachable goals, and how goal-setting on our missions with prepare us for our futures. We then applied those lessons we learned by setting goals for the new transfer coming up. It was a fairly productive time, and a meeting well spent. Then, when all was said and done, we got to the fun part of District Meeting, where we predicted as a District where everyone was going to go for transfers.

Once District Meeting was over, we went on with the rest of our week. And, I'll be honest. Once the elephant in the room was addressed (namely, transfers) we found it pretty hard to stay focused on the work we had been given. And even though we went out and went to work, it was still a pretty hard work to go into. In the end, most of our time was spent giving service to different members in our area. On Thursday, we helped Brother McKenzie out with some yard work he needed done. On Friday, we helped one of the youth move sod for his Eagle Scout project. And on Saturday, we helped a member move items from his storage into his even-larger storage area.

All of that led up to the big announcement with transfers! Drum roll please!

Actually, not much is changing. Myself and Elder Pember are both staying here in the Prairie Ridge and Taft Canyon Wards. Elder Christenot is moving on to a new area, but for whatever reason the Assistants to the President chose not to reveal to anyone who they are going to be with or where they are going if they are being transferred. So we don't really know anything other than that he is leaving. Also, Elder Grossarth, my Zone Leader and 'younger brother' (he was trained by Elder Proffit after I was) is also getting transferred. Finally, those that remember my Boulder days—those will never happen again. Starting today, Boulder is now part of the Denver North Mission, and all missionaries serving there now are being evacuated.

There goes the infamy of Boulder. Good riddance, if you ask me.

And, so, that was my week. A little rough around the edges, but all in all, not that bad. Now, I believe it is time for the Spiritual Thought of the week. As I have been preparing for these final days towards transfers, I've been thinking over how I want my mission to end. While there have been moments that I wish I had done better, and other moments that I feel embarrassed by (Magic, D&amp;D, and Pokemon?! How did my mission transform from spiritual growth to geek-dom growth?!), all in all I am proud of how I have spent my mission. I've served hard, and through the words I was able to share, it is my hope that I have led others towards Christ.

As I have thought of these things, my mind has turned to a New Era message I read one day for my studies in the morning. The message hit close to home as I thought of what would await me when I finally do go home from this amazing mission of mine.

"**I recall a few years ago seeing a drama enacted at the Salt Lake International Airport. On this particular day, I got off an airplane and walked into the terminal. It was immediately obvious that a missionary was coming home because the airport was full of conspicuous-looking missionary friends and missionary relatives.**

**I tried to pick out the immediate family members. There was a father who did not look particularly comfortable in an awkward-fitting and slightly out-of-fashion suit. He seemed to be a man of the soil, with a suntan and large, work-scarred hands.**

**There was a mother who was quite thin, looking as if she had worked very hard in her life. She had in her hand a handkerchief-and I think it must have been a linen handkerchief once, but now it looked like tissue paper. It was nearly shredded from the anticipation only the mother of a returning missionary could know.**

**Two or three younger brothers and sisters were running around, largely oblivious to the scene that was unfolding.**

**I found myself wondering as to who would be first to break away from the welcoming group. A look at the mother's handkerchief convinced me that she would probably be the one.**

**As I sat there, I saw the returning missionary appear. I knew he was the one by the squeals of excitement from the crowd. He looked like Captain Moroni, clean and handsome and straight and tall. Undoubtedly he had known the sacrifice this mission had meant to his father and mother.**

**As he neared the group, sure enough, someone couldn't wait any longer. It wasn't the mother, and it wasn't any of the children. It was Father. That big, slightly awkward, quiet, and bronzed giant of a man ran out and swept his son into his arms.**" (_Amazed at the Love Jesus Offers Me_, Elder Jeffery R. Holland, New Era December 2008)

Message goes on to say that as Elder Holland watched this father and son embrace for the first time in two years, he couldn't help but think of a parallel reunion between another father and another son that had taken place nearly two-thousand years earlier. At the close of His Son's mortal ministry and at the end of His holy sacrifice for all mankind, Elder Holland stated that he couldn't imagine any other sight in heaven that day so long ago than of our Father running out to His son—bruised, beaten, yet still standing tall and noble—and holding Him with all the love He could offer.

I myself think of how I might be welcomed home after my mission here in Colorado and (hopefully several years down the road) my mission here in mortality comes to an end. I look forward for the day that my earthly father and my Heavenly Father will welcome me with arms open wide and a heart that is filled with love. Continuing on with the article, Elder Holland stated that he wouldn't find it too hard to believe that that mortal father of that mortal son would turn around to all those around them and state, just as that Heavenly Father stated years ago, "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased."

May we all seek that someday we may receive those wonderful words at the close of our missions—in life, on earth, and throughout the passage of immortality—is my prayer, in the sacred name of the Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	99. May 31-June 6

Hello Internet, this is Elder Z. S. Weber, reporting in to y'all live from the McKenzie's basement in the Fort Collins Zone of the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. I know, last week I said that I wasn't going to use that statement again, as we were moving. But, things have turned out to be a bit more difficult than we thought. It's looking like the family that we were going to be moving in with aren't ready to house missionaries just yet. And now, both the Prairie Ridge and Taft Canyon Wards are saying that they don't have anyone who can or will house the missionaries. So, for now, we are still here at the McKenzies until we can get a new place to call home, which is starting to look like an apartment, unless some of the families that can house us have a change of heart.

Anyways, enough with that. Things are going alright for me and Elder Pember this week. I'll be honest, though, there have been many better ones than the week I had this week. While I would love to say that we got a lot of work done this week, the honest answer is that things didn't go too well for us. It has been a very tiring time coming back from the transfers of last week, and learning to work with the new missionaries in our area. We also have had a few of our investigators drop us again, so we are pretty much planning on spending our days with this next week in finding new investigators and working with the potential investigators to see who is most interested in learning more. We need a lot more work to keep ourselves busy.

However, this week wasn't without its high-notes. There were actually three particular moments this past week that were good. On Wednesday, we got the chance to meet with the new District. The meeting was mostly spent as a meet-n-greet, a chance to get to know the new missionaries in our area. We met Elder Allen, Elder Christenot's replacement in the Harmony Ward, who is an excitable greenie with a very infectious greenie-fire. Along with him, we have two new members, Elder Marchetti (Mar-KET-ty) and Elder Anderson. Yes, this is the same Anderson that was my companion a few weeks ago. It was great to see him again, as well as to know that he is my replacement, as I am no longer a District Leader.

Another high-note from the week was a chance to teach Kathy and Ralph Williams, who are pretty much the only pair of investigators and/or less-actives that we are really teaching regularly. We ended up teaching about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as well as sharing a few of the commandments from the Commandments section. It was really interesting teaching this lesson to them, as it gave us a chance to try and light a bit of a fire under Ralph, who is trying to get back into the church. We mentioned how he could baptize Kathy if he prepared himself in time for the baptism. It would make him work a bit harder to be ready in time, but hopefully with the support of his family and friends back at church, he will be ready the same time Kathy is for her baptism.

Finally, the biggest highlight of this past week was Saturday. Now, I should probably preface this by saying that Saturday, once again, was a very hard day to work on. Not a lot went our way, and we were feeling pretty bummed out. We went home at the beginning of the evening as we didn't have anyone for dinner that night, and found an interesting surprise waiting for us there. A large chocolate cake and balloons waiting on the front porch. Apparently, Sister Banagas (from my first area, Fossil Creek) had come by and dropped off a birthday cake, as it was actually my birthday! We decided to gather the other elders that evening and headed over to the church building to enjoy the cake with friends.

And, so, those were the highlights of my past week. I know, not a lot compared to others, but this week didn't give me much to work with. That being said, though, we do have a Spiritual Thought to share with you. Here we go.

As I slightly nonchalantly mentioned in one of the previous paragraphs, I am no longer District Leader. Going into the transfers for this new Transfer, I felt that I didn't want to have the pressure of being a District Leader squarely on my shoulders anymore. It was rough for me the past three Transfers, and I didn't want to have to worry about it anymore. However, the interesting thing about that was shortly after I was relieved of the duties of being a District Leader, I was left feeling kind of...blank. I mean, I had been a District Leader for three Transfers. And, while I didn't always enjoy the responsibilities, I did learn a lot, and enjoyed being able to be more than just a friend, but a leader, to my fellow missionaries. Now, I can't claim that anymore.

However, while I was a District Leader, there were certain things that I truly learned and grew with as a missionary. Perhaps the biggest was I actually became a leader. I learned how to work with others and help them to reach their highest potential, even as I myself am rising up as high as I can aim to go. As I've thought over this, my thoughts have turned to how slightly somber I felt when my calling was taken away. While I had hoped I wouldn't be a District Leader anymore, I can't help but shake this slightly somber feeling in my heart over not being a District Leader anymore. I've had to set aside one calling so that I can better serve in another. It makes me feel glad, as now I can work harder in my area, but somber, as I wish I could've done better before.

Our callings, whether on a mission, in the priesthood, or throughout life, are an extremely important part of ourselves. It is a chance to let our Heavenly Father shape and nurture us into greater, more god-like sons and daughters of Him. It's a sacred trust, and we are expected to do all that we can to follow Him and do the work that He has given us. Some callings are easier for others than others. Some are trying no matter who the calling is given to. Whatever calling you might have in your life, whether it be that of a Bishop, that of a District Leader in a Mission, or simply that of a father or mother in a family, serve with all your heart. Yours is a chance to become more like Him, and serve Him as He needs you to serve.

If there's one thing I've learned the most from my mission is that there's no growth in a comfort zone, and there's little to no comfort in a growing zone. If you want to see change, if you want to see growth, nine times out of ten you're going to have to stretch yourself a little or a lot before you start seeing results. It's something I hope to take to heart, even after the mission, and one I hope we all can strive for.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Z. S. Weber

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	100. June 7-13

Hey everyone, guess who's back? Elder Z. S. Weber is here again with another update on how the work in the Taft Canyon and Prairie Ridge Wards is going. And how is it going? Well...kind of hard to say. So, we have one investigator that is coming along really well (Kathy...I think I've mentioned her once or twice here). She's been coming to church, keeping her commitments, and has a baptism date for the 2nd of July. Things are going really well for her. However, beyond Kathy, we really don't have anyone else that we are working with. Either they dropped us, we dropped them, or we just simply haven't been able to meet with them at all. So, we're in a rough spell right now.

With that said, there was sadly very little that I can report on for this week. I'm sorry to say that, but it's just how it is. We haven't had much that has happened, and what has happened isn't really all that worth mentioning. What is worth mentioning, though, are two things. First, we are still struggling with finding housing. Y'see, we're supposed to move from one house to another every three months. However, because of a lack in members that are willing to house us, we have been struggling to find a new place that we can call home. It seems as though everyone has been trying to find an answer to this question, from the Zone Leaders to the Ward Mission Leaders in both of our wards.

For a while, it sounded as though we had come up with a solution to our problem. The Zone Leaders made it sound as though they believed they were going to be moving to a new apartment, and that the apartment they were currently living in would be the home for elders that couldn't find much housing. So, we were under the understanding that we would be moving in with them, and then take over the apartment once they left. However, just a few days before we would be moving into that apartment, our Ward Mission Leader in our Taft Canyon Ward revealed to us that we were going to get housing on the 21st, so until then we were encouraged not to move from our current housing.

All this adds up to us not knowing at all what we're going to do.

Besides our troublesome housing problems, the only other point from this week that was really interesting was being able to practice and prepare for our Zone Conference that is actually happening tomorrow. This will be President Brown's last Zone Conference as our Mission President, and as such, most of the missionaries attending will be preparing different songs and pieces to perform for our beloved leader and teacher. We've decided that we are going to perform the hymn 'Joseph Smith's First Prayer', sung to the tune of 'Come Thou Fount', which I much admit I first thought was the actual tune of the hymn 'Joseph Smith's First Prayer'.

The song sounds pretty good, all things considered. I mean, we're not the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, but we do pretty well all the same. My only problem that I really see with the practices is that the Sisters want us to try and sing a little bit higher than we normally sing for these performances. Now, I don't know how all you feel about it, but whenever I hear myself try to sing at a higher pitch than normal, I always feel that there's a colony of dogs nearby screaming, "Someone, please, make it stop!" I don't sound good singing high, or at least higher than normal. Seeing as this performance is going to make me stretch, I hope it all works out in the end.

Beyond that, though, I don't really have much to mention for this week. Sorry for not having more to report on, or having a spiritual thought to share this week. I just feel so...blah. Hopefully, with our plans and activities that are set up for next week, my next email will be better than this one was. Have a great week guys, and Stay Epic, My Friends!

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	101. June 14-20

Good morning, fellow inhabitants of this beautiful world we all call Earth. Once more, this is your brilliant, charming, and ever-humble friend serving in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission, Elder Z. S. Weber. Once more, I am here to tell all y'all what's going on in my life as a missionary and what lessons I have been able to learn. Before I begin though, I realize that a lot of you might have been concerned with how...blue my last email sounded. Last week was really rough on me, and so I didn't really have the energy or conviction to write another powerful or inspiring message like I normally do. However, I can confidently say that this week turned out MUCH better than last week did, and I'm feeling much better as well.

So, what happened this week that made me feel so much better than the last? Well, to begin, on Tuesday we were asked to gather together for a Zone Conference. For the first time ever on my mission, we were actually going to a Zone Conference that was being held in our own Zone. Usually, because we share a Zone Conference with other Zones, the Zone I am in has to drive to the Zone that is hosting the Conference. The other interesting difference about this Zone Conference is that it was President Brown's last Zone Conference, and should be my last one as well. It's still kind of hard to believe that it's finally gotten this far, and that my mission is almost over. The fact that this was the last Zone Conference was a bit of a rude awakening.

For the most, the Zone Conference was spent as a Q&amp;A session with President Brown. The President wanted to share as much advice as he could with us before his time as our Mission President ended. Surprisingly, there weren't any sarcastic questions asked, and though President Brown wasn't able to answer all of the questions, the questions he did answer I feel fit most of the missionaries that attended. Along with advice, President Brown talked with us missionaries about President McMurray, who should be coming to replace him by the middle of the first full week of July (1st through 7th). It was his hope that we would make serving with President McMurray easier on him, and that the exchange from one President to another wouldn't cause too much chaos in the mission.

After the meeting, we had a delicious lunch which had been prepared for us by some local members. After lunch was over, we each received these awesome little challenge/memory coins with the Fort Collins Mission emblem and the Fort Collins Temple on either side. It was a great gift to remember our mission from, especially for me, who accidentally lost his 'Armor of God' challenge coin at the very beginning of his mission and had missed the feeling of having a coin in his pocket. Finally, at the end of the meeting, we got to the Departing Testimonies, and boy were there a lot of them. There were nineteen missionaries that were going home in the next two months that were attending our Zone Conference, and from what President Brown said, about a quarter of the mission is going home in the first two months of President McMurray's mission. Ouch!

Among those that spoke were actually a lot of familiar faces. Elder Dixon, Elder Genther, Elder Christiansen, Elder Pratt and Elder Clavel, all from my original MTC group (43-Best!), were there to give their departing testimonies. Elder NeVille, my former companion, was also there, as well as Elder Harper and Elder Clark, who I have previously served around, and Elder Tiai, who came out with me and was pretty much adopted by my MTC group. Elder Stock, Elder Farnes, and Elder Carter were all missionaries that came out with me, but weren't in my group, and Elder Marchetti and Elder Biggs were missionaries that are currently serving in the same Zone as me. This isn't all of the missionaries that said goodbye in that Zone Conference, but they're the ones that I know. It's crazy to think that I'm among them, and come forty-two days, I'll be homeward bound.

After the Zone Conference was over, and the week continued on, I had a few more moments in my week that I feel are worth mentioning. To start with, on Wednesday I got a chance to go on Exchanges with Elder Anderson, my former companion. I ended up going to his area, the Timberline Ward, and we did some work there. It was a good chance for me to see how the other missionaries are doing, and what trials they are going through. Because Timberline was swept out at Transfers, Elder Anderson and Elder Marchetti have a lot of weeding out to do without much direction. It made me glad that, though confusing it is to work two wards, we are able to handle and sort the work in our area. More than anything, though, it was nice just catching up with my former companion and seeing him again.

The next day, after we had exchanged back again, Elder Pember and I were able to have another chance to teach Kathy and Ralph Williams. By this point, we had pretty much finished teaching them all of the lessons, and Kathy by this point is pretty much all ready for her baptism. We went over a little earlier than normal to have dinner with them, and then we spent the rest of the night going over the Baptismal Interview questions so that she's ready for them come thisnext Thursday when she is actually being interviewed. Once that was done, we also answered any of her questions that she had for us, and stated once more to her that we were certain she was ready, and she herself bore testimony (which was awesome, by the way!) that she felt that she was ready.

So, yeah, that was my week! Way better than last week, am I right? We also have a great new Spiritual Message for all y'all, if you'd like to hear it. Surprisingly, this message has little to do with the Zone Conference or the lessons or exchanges that I've had this week. Rather, this message is one I would like to share about someone truly special and important in my life.

A few weeks ago, I shared a message based off of an article I read in the Ensign from several years back. In it, Elder Holland spoke of a young missionary coming home after a long season in the mission field. He spoke of his family that was waiting for him, but especially about "**that big, slightly awkward, quiet, and bronzed giant of a man**" who was his father, and who "**ran out and swept his son into his arms.**" (_Amazed at the Love Jesus Offers Me_, Elder Jeffery R. Holland, New Era December 2008) As I have thought of that message, along with other stories such as the Prodigal Son, the messages Alma the Younger shares in chapters 36 to 42 in the Book of Alma, and the fact that yesterday was Father's Day, I feel impressed to share my own tribute to my father.

My dad, Steven James Weber, is a man that I have always looked up to. He can do almost anything, it seems, that he puts his mind to. He's run marathons, competed in triathlons, gone on hiking trips that I would faint at the thought of attempting, and always seems like he's eager for more. It was through my dad that I learned a lot of what makes me who I am. Sure, I'm a fantasy-type guy, but it was my dad who introduced me to Star Wars, who read Harry Potter to me at bedtime when I couldn't read it on my own. He was there to help me learn how to ride a bike, how to bike down a mountain, and how to ski down a mountain. He instilled in me a love of the outdoors and a love of football, things that don't usually go with being a nerd.

Beyond just passions and pastimes, though, it's because of my father that I'm where I am now spiritually. My dad has always been the spiritual leader of our family, a strong and stalwart bearer of the priesthood that I always looked up to. I remember very clearly on the day before the school year would start, Dad would spend a few hours by himself in his room, getting ready for the priesthood blessings he would be giving. He would then give four blessings in a row, each tailored to us kids in a way that transcended this mortal world. In my eyes, growing up, my dad was spiritual giant, and I longed to be able to stand as tall as he did. I didn't just want to know about the gospel, though I was very knowledgable as it was. I wanted to be an active member, using the gospel in my life like I saw in my father.

I've come a long way from then. I'm in no way perfect right now, and I know pretty well that I've still got a long road ahead of me. But I got a good start. I had a father that I could always look up to, someone who I could always respect. Though his example, I was able to truly come to know my Heavenly Father, and understand who He is and what He expects from me. And now, as I come to the end of my mission and start off on a new stage of my life, I know with upmost surety that I have the support of both of them behind me. I know I can turn to either for support and advice, and through their guidance and examples I can become who I am truly meant to be. I am so grateful to have these figures in my life, who have led me on to who I am now. Such is the same for all of us. Put your trust in your Father in Heaven, and He will always lead you to who you are meant to be.

This I bear witness of in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber


	102. June 21-27

Good Morning, friend, family, and other relative acquaintances! This is your favorite missionary from the Colorado Fort Collins Mission once again, the ever charismatic, charming, and completely humble Elder Z. S. Weber. It's great to hear from all y'all again. A lot has happened this past week, but before we get to all of that, may I just say that summer has officially come...and DANG! Is it hot or what?! I mean, seriously, this past week we saw the temperature gage on our car go up to 108 degrees! It was only for a few seconds, but DANG! That is hot! We're still expected to work in this infernal heat that has swept over the state, but worry not. Though the heat is great, the work has actually been pretty good here.

So, without further ado, let us begin!

To start us off, let's go back to Tuesday this past week. Now, some of you might remember that for the past few weeks, Elder Pember and I have been struggling in finding a new place for us to call home. Well, after searching and begging and pleading for a new home, we finally were able to move out of the McKenzies' and find a new place to call home. Where are we, you might ask? Well, because both Wards are still struggling in finding us a member that can house us, we have moved in with our Zone Leaders, Elder Fraser and Elder Jackson. This is my first time living with other Elders while on my mission. It's actually been pretty nice, as we all have studies together in the morning and have nice discussions. These discussions range from principles of the gospel, to who we think would win in an Avengers vs. Justice League, to possible date plans for after the mission.

Along with great studies and discussions with my friends, moving in with the Zone Leaders has proven to be good for me and my companion in more ways than I first thought. For starters, we live above-ground now, so when the sun rises at 5:45 in the morning it helps to wake us up at the right time. Also, every morning at 6:35, the Zone Leaders work out, having this huge six-day rolling plan set up to, as they say, 'get pumped!' So, pretty much every morning now we are working out...though we might not do the Zone Leader workout with them. I'm not saying that I can't do it, or that I won't do it...I'm just saying that I did their chest workouts on Thursday, and my right arm is still kind of sore...

Along with moving in, Elder Pember and I were able to get out and enjoy the warmth of the summer as we went out and tried to find some new investigators for the Prairie Ridge Ward. We have a pretty good teaching pool for Taft Canyon, and though things could be better there, the sad truth is we pretty much have nothing going on in Prairie Ridge. So, this week we dedicated ourselves to finding in the Prairie Ridge area. The work was slow, but enjoyable, as we mostly walked everywhere. Unfortunately, there weren't many people that were interested in talking with us. In fact, there were several occasions where we were walking down the sidewalk, saw someone walking towards us on the same walk, who then cut across the street to avoid talking to us. However, we were able to share a few short messages about the temple.

The best thing from this week, however, was our chance to finalize our plans for our investigator, Kathy Williams. Things have been really going well for her, and she is really excited for her baptism coming up. Wednesday, we were able to drag the District Leader over to our Church Building so that he could give Kathy her baptismal interview. Just as we had expected, she passed with flying colors. However, as we were setting up the program for her baptism with her, we found a few small problems. Nothing much, just that pretty much everyone that needs to be at her baptism (i.e. Ward Mission Leader, Relief Society President, Bishopric Member) would be out of town. So, we've moved her baptism from the 2nd to the 9th. Still, it's really exciting!

Well, that's how my week went! All in all, not all that shabby, if I do say so myself. Along with the work done, and the experiences...erm, experienced, this week has also been a great week of spiritual growth and enlightenment. Which means...It's time for another session of the Spiritual Thought!

This thought was inspired by a baptism that Elder Pember and I attended this last Saturday. After the woman had been baptized and had her short welcoming into the Ward, the Bishop had asked her to bear her testimony, or share about her journey to her baptism. While she said that she didn't have much of a testimony to share, as with most people who share their testimonies it was profound and beautiful, even as it was simple and sweet. As part of her testimony and journey towards baptism, she shared a song that her grandmother taught her when she was a young girl. Years later, she translated the song from Spanish to English, and it took on new meaning for her. With her permission, I include a verse of the translated song;

**_Lord, you looked into my eyes,_**

**_And smiling, you called my name._**

**_In the sand, I left my boat._**

**_With you, I will look for other seas._**

(_Pescadores de Hombres_; lit. Fishers of Men)

This song refers to the story of Peter and his brethren. Peter was a fisherman in Galilee, and had dedicated his life to fishing. I'm certain that, though probably not the most profitable work to be invested in, it was a work he took much pride in and was pretty good at, if the patience he shows whenever he goes fishing in the New Testament is anything to go by. Yet even though he loved his work, there came a time when a different work called his name. The work he had previously done wasn't as successful or fulfilling as it was before, and I imagine he was looking for something more in his life. And that was when our Savior met him and extended the call to throw down his net and become a fisher of men. (Matthew 4:18-20)

Now, let's return to the woman who told me this song. At that time in her life, this young convert felt as though her faith based off of the Catholic Church was the boat in the song. It had fared her well throughout her life to there, yet she couldn't help but feel as though something was missing. Slowly, her nets stopped catching fish, her sails lost their wind, and her boat ended up stuck on the sandy shore. She needed something more in her life. She knew she wanted to follow and believe on Jesus Christ, but the faith she aligned herself with at that moment wasn't filling her needs as well as she had hoped. It was at that time that she decided to seek out her answers—seeking that eventually led her to the missionaries, and through them, God in His glory.

There may be some of you who read these messages that are struggling with your faith. You love God, and seek to follow Him at all times. Yet sometimes, you can't help but feel as though there is something lacking in your worship. Something is there, you know it, yet it is just beyond your reach. My counsel to you, my brothers and sisters in the spirit, is to ask your Father in Heaven what He would have you do. His desires are always good, and He knows best what is best for you. Perhaps He will give you strength to fortify your ship, new purpose within your ship. Or perhaps His counsel will be to set your net aside and "look for other seas." I cannot speak for you. All I can say is that I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints truly is His restored church on the earth today. And if you choose to come and join us, we will welcome you with arms open wide as a brother or sister "**who was lost, and is found.**" (Luke 15:32)

Now, for those of you my friends who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and who struggle with your faith as well, may I direct your attention to the counsel of one of the apostles of the Lord? "**At the beginning of [a river rafting trip], one of the experienced river guides reviewed important safety instructions, emphasizing three rules that would ensure the group's safe travel through the rapids. 'Rule number one: stay in the boat! Rule number two: always wear a life jacket! Rule number three: always hold on with both hands!' He then said again, with even more emphasis, 'Above all, remember rule number one: stay in the boat!'**" (M. Russell Ballard, _Stay in the Boat and Hold On!_, October 2014 General Conference)

There will be times in our lives when our seas get rough, when the storms are all about us and seeking to sink us into the depths of the ocean. At those times, there may be some among you who think it would be best to find a better boat to weather the storm in. My advice to you is—get away from that railing and stay in the boat! First of all, it's absolutely ridiculous to jump out of a ship in the middle of a storm, seeking for a larger vessel that may or may not be there. It's an entirely different situation if you can see the vessel, and it actually has a safety line thrown out for you before you've even jumped out into the waters (cough cough The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), but that's not what we're talking about here.

Second, and I hate to burst bubbles here, but _there is no better vessel to weather the storms of mortality in than the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!_ It is the Lord's church, and He is the Master at the helm. With a man as perfect as He is, someone who has proven more than capable of calming the seas and the sailors time and again, why do you doubt? Let us stay in the boat, stay in this ship we call the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and hold on with both hands. Though the waves may be fierce, and the force of the wind might cause us to fear for our lives, remember another group of Saints that feared a similar, yet more literal death. At that moment, the words of the Savior to them and the seas is the same counsel He gives each of us—"**Peace, be still.**" (Mark 4:39)

This I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

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	103. June 28-July 4

Good morning, 'Merica, and Happy Independence Day to you! This is your favorite Mormon Missionary from the Colorado Fort Collins Mission, Elder Z. S. Weber, here with another one of my weekly updates on how the mission life is going. Now, I know a lot of you are hoping for some epic success story from this week, but sadly this week was just another average week for me and Elder Pember. Nothing too rough happened, but nothing very noteworthy happened either, at least when it comes to the work. We had some great moments of bonding, working in our area, as rough as it might be. However, we haven't seen a whole lot of success, or rather, progress during this past week.

That being said, there were several moments throughout this past week that are worth mentioning. Perhaps we didn't have much progress with our work this past week, but that doesn't mean that this past week wasn't one filled with stirring and inspiring moments of spiritual growth and knowledge.

To start off with, let's go back to Tuesday of this past week, and may I apologize for a slightly somber beginning. Last week, we learned that the son of one of the members of the Prairie Ridge Ward has passed away. It was a shock and pain for the whole family. To help alleviate their troubles, in however small or grand a way as possible, Elder Pember and I went over to the Church Building Monday night and Tuesday morning to help out in the preparations for the funeral. On Tuesday morning, we were asked to help in the catering, carrying the food out for the luncheon and making certain that the tables were all cared for. It was a bit confusing work at first, but it went along well, and I think both Elder Pember and I enjoyed it fairly well.

What had been most surprising for me, though, was how many people had decided to show up. The family had told us that they were only expecting about a hundred people to show up, and in fact had only invited around that many people. When we showed up to help that morning, however, the Church parking lot was close to over-flowing. There was even an entire row of parking spots completely filled by a gang of motorcycles, owned by a group of friends the son of the family had hung out with in the past. It was truly moving to see so many people come together in love, comfort, and compassion in the wake of this tragedy. For a moment, it made me think of how my funeral, at some hopefully very distant date, would go, and who would come to remember me.

Our week pressed on to Thursday, where we had another chance to go and teach Kathy, our soon-to-be-recent-convert. At first, we weren't certain what we would share with her and her husband, Ralph. We ended up deciding to read Alma 34 with them, and discuss the importance of the atonement that is mentioned in the chapter. As we discussed, Ralph brought up a point that was very interesting...one that I have never heard before now. A problem that he was having was that it was difficult for him to believe that God and Jesus Christ were perfect beings. It didn't make much sense to him, as he had experienced a lot of life, and seeing how imperfect and rather corrupt humans can be, that he had a very hard time believing a perfect God could or would create such an imperfect world.

Much to our surprise, though, it was Kathy that had a large role in helping explain this truth to Ralph. Using the knowledge that she had gained from our lessons on the Plan of Salvation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, she was able to rather confidently state her belief on the fact that God is perfect. It was really surprising to watch, especially as someone who started teaching her when she had very little understanding of the church and of the Plan of Salvation. It was a really wonderful moment to sit there and see that our efforts had paid off. The spirit truly had been with us when we had taught Kathy, and our lessons with her had not merely entertained or informed her, but helped her to change and convert. It was incredible.

Finally, at the close of our week, we felt a heavy loss. This past Thursday evening, President Kelly Brown, the mission president I have had since I first entered my mission, returned home with honor with his beloved wife beside him. Those of us who had come to love President Brown felt a pang of sadness, which was only comforted by the knowledge that we would meet again someday...especially after he had passed on to us his contact information so we could at least attempt to stay in touch after the mission. In his place came our new mission president, President Shawn McMurray, who came fresh and ready to work in this mission and bring it to a new level of greatness.

We had a chance to meet President McMurray on Saturday. It was interesting, getting to meet the new head of the mission. He's certainly no President Brown. He's less intimidating, not quite as giant a man. Yet he has this peaceful spirit about him that President Brown had also. This spirit has been a confirmation to me that he has been given the priesthood keys to lead this mission, and whatever work he is called on to do that it will be the will of God for us missionaries here. While I will only be with him for a few short weeks (four, to be exact), I look forward to learning whatever I can from him and how he runs the mission. If nothing else, it will make for a very interesting and memorable last month of the mission.

And, well...that was my week. Like I said before, not a lot of great new progress, but a great week nonetheless. Spiritually uplifting, filled with great memories, a great week through and through. So, what Spiritual Moment could I have to share this week?

A while back in my mission, one of my former companions received an email from his parents saying that they were moving into Colorado due to some changes in his father's company. Instantly, this companion of mine began to feel slight animosity towards his parents decision, claiming he didn't want to leave his mission only to come home to Colorado. It wasn't fair was the tune his heart and voice was singing. Now, I knew this companion, and he had only said good of Colorado, while his words regarding his home state were nothing but negative. When I asked him regarding this, he told me that one of the biggest reasons he had left on a mission was to get away from his family. He didn't want to be around them, and so them coming to the state he was coming to love would surely ruin it in his mind.

This was a mindset that I have never experienced before. Those that have read my past emails, and who know me personally, can attest that I love my family. Indeed, though video games are great and the new movies that came out during my mission had me banging my head against the wall in irritation that I couldn't watch them, it was the fact that I had to leave my family behind that was the hardest for my decision to serve a mission. Though we might not always see eye to eye with each other, each member of my family is someone I care deeply for, and I know that I could never live without. They bear me up, and give me more strength and support than I could ever hope to express in words.

I am ever thankful for the blessing of families. Certainly, there are no perfect families on earth. But if we model our lives after our Savior's, and model our family after that divine family from where we came from, we can at least bring ourselves close. We can feel of the love that our Father has for each of us, even when we do wrong. I remember very clearly growing up that I had a fear that if I made a mistake, even a minor one, I would lose the love my parents have for me. Now, nearing the age when I will start a family of my own, and looking back through the ages, I can see how foolish that thought was. Families should love, even when things go wrong and mistakes happen. For so loves our Father, the perfect example of love unfeigned.

This I state in humility, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Z. S. Weber

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	104. July 5-11

Good morning, my beloved brothers and sisters in the spirit. 'Tis I once again, the ever-incredible Elder Z. S. Weber, sending off this email to all y'all back at home in Utah and onward throughout the world, from this simple apartment that Elder Pember and I have come to call home. This has been an incredible week, I am happy to say. A lot has happened this past week, a lot of great things, and so we have a lot to talk about today. Not only that, but this was also the last  
week of my last full transfer on the mission! Yeah, that went by a little too quick if you ask me. Anyways, just like always, expect some big changes coming up by the end of this email. All I'm going to say for now is that my last three weeks on the mission are looking pretty interesting.

So, without further ado, let's move on to Monday evening of last week. Yeah, I don't usually jump all the way back to exactly a week ago, but this was big. After running around on July 4th getting all of our work done and getting all set and prepared for the coming week, Elder Pember and I decided to head home so that he could finish up on his laundry and I could catch a quick nap before we run ourselves into the ground. Well, while we were in the middle of our resting, the Zone Leaders popped in. Still don't know why they were in before 9, when we're supposed to be home, but they seemed noticeably annoyed that we were. Not wanting to start a fight (or say something I would regret, as I often do when very, very tired), we headed out once more.

After driving around for a bit (mostly to help me cool down and think clearly) we came to a stop and looked at our lists to see if there was anyone that stood out for us to visit. There was—Thomas Rooney, a self-referral. Now, I've dealt with self-referrals before, but this guy was nothing like those guys. Tom was very serious about learning more about the church, and was actually the one that brought up baptism in our conversation, and what he would need to do so that he  
would be eligible to be baptized. We left him a Book of Mormon, a King James Version of the Bible (the only version I'll ever accept!), and one of our temple pass-along cards for the new temple coming up. Unfortunately, he'll have to be referred to the Zone Leaders, as he is YSA age, but still! Awesome way to end the day!

Up until Friday, the rest of the week was a big blur. I do remember going on exchanges with our District Leader's companion, Elder Marchetti, as well as going to the doctor with Elder Pember (he was the one going in, I was the one in the lobby waiting). However, Friday was when things definitely got interesting. Allow me to set the scene for you.

It was the early afternoon in Fort Collins, Colorado, and Elder Pember and I had just finished a great lunch and were settling down at the library to do our weekly planning. We had gotten through the first few goals for our coming week (just about two or three) when we got a call from the Zone Leaders asking us to come to the apartment ASAP. When we asked them why, all they said was to just come and not to ask questions. With those vague answers, Elder Pember and I drove all the way back to the apartment, all the while thinking up all of the possible worst-case-scenarios that would be reason to call us up ("They found my secret stash of Magic cards!" "They found out about us playing D&amp;D with the other Elders on P-Day!" "They want me to be a District Leader/Trainer for my last three weeks!").

Of course, it was none of these worries of ours. Instead, it turned out that Elder Jackson, our quirky Canadian Zone Leader, had been chosen by President McMurray to be the new Assistant to the President (AP), and so the other AP's (Elder Pratt and Elder Miner) were there to pick him up so that he could get the gist of what it takes to be an AP before he officially has to replace Elder Pratt as the AP. However, because he was being whisked away so suddenly, Elder Fraser wasn't going to have a companion to stay with for four days. So, until Transfer Day rolled around for us, Elder Fraser was going to be the third person in my first-ever tripanionship! Took me 23 months, but I finally got myself a tripanionship!

Now, because we were with the Zone Leader, we had a lot of chances to teach the discussions. I'm going to just say they have an advantage, as they are teaching people who are already interested in making changes in their lives (college students with all the horizon to them). However, it was a wonderful chance to go out and teach so many people, especially those that were on the road towards baptism. There were a few, I will admit, that I found myself wondering 'why are you holding yourself back?', which is one of the most frustrating things out there. To see fellow children of God, so filled with a brightness of light and hope, holding themselves back from the fullness of the truth...it gets frustrating. However, it was a great experience, and helped to light some further fire of desire in my heart.

Finally, the greatest thing that happened this week was on Saturday and Sunday. You all should know about Kathy by now. Well, after probably about eight weeks of working with Kathy and her husband, Ralph, we finally made it to her baptism. It was a wonderful experience, one filled with the Spirit surrounding us. Elder Pember was the one to baptize her. After she was baptized, both she and Ralph bore powerful witnesses of the truth of this gospel, and how thankful they were to be able to be a part of it now. The next day, during Sacrament Meeting, I was able to be the one to confirm Kathy a member of the Church, and offer her the gift of the Holy Ghost. That moment, I just felt this overwhelming feeling that this is why I am out on my mission.

As for transfers, there is a lot that is changing here in the Fort Collins Zone. Don't worry, me and Elder Pember are still together, and still living with the Zone Leaders (as far as our knowledge goes). However, there are some changes to note. Those of you who remember Elder 'Morty' Mortensen from my Boulder days might be interested to know that he is soon to be Elder Swann's new companion in the Harmony Ward. Elder Anderson, our District Leader, is soon to be a 'father', training one of the sixteen new missionaries coming in on Wednesday. Elder Pratt, also, is coming into our Zone, serving as one of the District Leaders, and he too is going to be a 'father'. Our new Zone Leader, Elder Domnikov, is sounding to be a great missionary, too. So, all-in-all, it's looking like next transfer is going to be a great one, and a great three weeks to close out my mission!

So, that was what all happened this past week. Like I said, this was a great week, and a great send off to the end of my last full transfer on the mission. Now, from such a great week as this, I'm certain you wonder what Spiritual Thought I have to share.

This week, I wish to bear my testimony on the Restoration of the Priesthood. The Priesthood is the power of God given unto men to speak and act in His name. It gives them the right and authority to do such grand things as: summoning ten terrible plagues and unleashing them on the foes of God; allowing a handful of meal and a little oil to last a small family through a three-year drought; healing a man born blind so that he might see; calming a fierce storm while out on the seas; and feeding a congregation of five-thousand with only five loaves and two fishes. These great and mighty miracles, and many more, are the work of the priesthood, and the power of God given to man.

But the Priesthood isn't just the power to work miracles. Though great that power is, the Priesthood offers us a greater, and far more important, power and authority. It is only through the power and authority of the Priesthood that the marvelous work of God can press forward. When the last of the Apostles were killed after Christ's resurrection, that authority to direct God's work and lead His people was taken from the earth. Even if there were many men that desired to  
follow God and further His work (which, yes there were), they did not have the proper authority to do that work, and certainly not in His name. Therefore, it was entirely necessary that the Priesthood must be restored to the earth.

With the Restoration of the Gospel to the earth through Joseph Smith came the Restoration of the Priesthood. Now, in this day and age, we have been blessed by the presence of the Priesthood in our Church and in our homes. As a missionary, it has been my honor to be able to wield this holy Priesthood. It has given me the authority to teach others the gospel of Jesus Christ, to go out and bring more of my fellow spirit siblings back unto Him. I have had many chances to bless others with this Priesthood and be the recipient of many great blessings. And someday in the not-too-distant future, it will be my honor to wield this power in righteousness as the Priesthood leader of my family.

To put it into the words of a modern-day prophet, a man who uses the priesthood entrusted to him righteously "**will find his life sweetened, his discernment sharpened to decide quickly between right and wrong, his feelings tender and compassionate, yet his spirit strong and valiant in defense of right; he will find the priesthood a never failing source of happiness—a well of living water springing up unto eternal life.**" (David O. McKay, October General Conference 1965) This I bear my personal witness of, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

Sent from My iPad


	105. July 12-18

Hey everyone! Sorry for such the late email, but yesterday was pretty rough for me and Elder Pember when it came to emailing. The Zone Leaders wanted us to carpool with them so that we could save on miles, which was a great idea...except that they had a VERY long list of errands to run and emailing their family didn't look to be high on that list. And, since we've lost access to WiFi in our apartment, our chances to send and receive emails have been limited to whenever we have been within access to free WiFi as we're out and about, which isn't as often as I personally would like. But no matter! The email is here and ready, so let's get on with the rest of this week!

This week was actually a pretty good week all around, sans the evident lack of WiFi. Throughout this entire week we've had some great chances to meet and teach a lot of old and new investigators that we've been trying to meet with for a while, but it mostly has fallen through for us. While most ended up just telling us they didn't want to meet with missionaries any more (in more or less words), there were a couple that still seemed fairly interested in learning more. And, of course, once we brought up the soon-to-be-opened temple they got VERY interested! Which is interesting, because this is the first time I've really seen people this excited about the temple...and I have two weeks left.

Perhaps the most memorable of these lessons was with an older couple we had met with in the past called the Speers. Brother Speer is a less-active member that hasn't been to church or done anything church-related in...well, forever is probably a safe estimate. Sister Speer is a non-member, and though she doesn't mind us missionaries coming over every once in a while, she has made it clear what she thinks of organized religion. However, when we brought up the subject of the temple with them, they were both very interested. Sister Speer, even had already been looking forward to going through it with some of her friends!

After discussing how they could be able to get tickets for the open-house coming up in a few weeks, we decided to explain what we actually do in the temple, and sort of work in a bit of the Plan of Salvation, as that is primarily what is going on in the temple. Anyways, they didn't seem all that interested in what we believe we can do for our deceased ancestors in the temple (be baptized for them, be sealed for and to them, help them receive any additional ordinances and blessings they were unable to receive while on the earth). What they were very interested it, though, was the Family History work, and how they could do more. Perhaps, by that angle, there's hope yet for the Speers to come unto the fold!

The temple has also played a great role in being able to get out and share the gospel while tracting. It's been very interesting to be able to witness. Most people, when we go around explaining that we want to talk about Christ seem to go very ice-cold on us. I mean, honestly! Why is it that people are just fine talking about Pokemon Go and the NFL, but the minute religion and Christ are brought up into any conversation, either half the company gets hostile or they decide to just walk away or escape? However, if we start talking about the temple, it's a great ice breaker and conversation starter. Pretty much everyone in Fort Collins is interested in that beautiful building that the Mormons are working on!

Case in point, Everett Valenzuela, our newest investigator found through tracting. Last Tuesday we were out tracting in a small neighborhood (that apparently is off limits to solicitors and trespassers, as the very next person we talked to after Everett pointed out to us so kindly), and after a few unanswered doors we met this man named Everett who seemed very interested in the temple and wanted to learn more. We ended up stopping by again that next Saturday and sharing a message about the temple and how families can be together forever. We also had a member, Brother Blakely Sr. with us to help us share our message. In the end it was a great lesson and we should be meeting with him again sometime next week.

So, yeah, this week has been pretty great, all things considered. And of course, what made it so special in the end was the temple. I don't know how I was able to overlook the importance of the temple before my mission, but it has become very clear to me now. The temple truly is a holy place, a piece of Heaven on earth. There, the darkness that has covered the landscape of the world cannot enter. Just stepping onto the grounds and walking around is like walking into the Garden of Eden itself. It is peaceful, serene, and unbelievably beautiful. It is a place of peace, of safety, of comfort and strength, where prayers are answered and miracles worked.

But it isn't just a peaceful getaway from the rest of the world. As much as I love the temple for the peace it has brought my heart the few times I go there, I know that there is a much grander reason to go. Like an enormous ivory beehive, temples are a grand station of work and labor. Perhaps it isn't so taxing on the body, but certainly  
the work in the temple is taxing on the mind and the spirit, yet it is some of the most wonderful work and service I have ever done. In the temple, we have a chance to offer the blessings we have received in life for our ancestors, and others that have come before us. Those that missed out on the sweetest of fruits from the tree of life can have a chance to savor its taste even after their mortal frames have withered to dust.

As Paul put it in 1 Corinthians, "**Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?**" (1 Corinthians 15:29). We believe that man will rise from his grave again, given a new, immortal life. Why then would our perfect, loving Father in Heaven hold back on blessings to His children that were unable to receive it in life? How would that be fair? It stands to reason, and makes perfect sense to me, that God would provide a way to offer these same saving ordinances we receive on earth to those who never had the chance to enjoy them in life.

This work cannot be done without the living, though. Each of these ordinances, however spiritual they may be, must be done here on the physical plane. Therefore, it is our duty, as sons and daughters of God and the current and rising generations in our family lines, to do this work. So go to work, by brothers and sisters. Go to the temple, or ready yourself to go to the temple, and help to offer the blessings you savor with those that have passed on. As you do, the Lord will bless you incredibly. Trials that once were mighty against us will be no more than simple obstacles to overcome, and those blessings we savor now will become evermore sweet and desirable to the taste.

This I bear my personal witness of, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

Sent from My iPad


	106. July 19-25

Good Morning, my dear friends and family back home. Sorry, again, for sending this big email out later than usual. Once more, yesterday was a very rough day, and between doctor's appointments, haircuts, lunch, and shopping, there wasn't a whole lot of time for us to be able to email everyone on our lists. Well, better late than never, am I right? To be honest, though, I am glad for the extra time these extra twenty-four hours gave me, as I really didn't know what to talk about this week. I mean, there wasn't a whole lot that stood out in these past seven days, and it was difficult to form a message from these fleeting moments.

But a message I have for you indeed.

While not a whole lot happened this week, there were two major things at the very beginning of the week that were really great moments for me. The first was interviews with President McMurray. Me and Elder Pember were President's fourth and third missionaries he interviewed that day, and when it came my turn I was feeling very prepared for the information he would give me. You see, as last week was my second-to-last week in the mission, this interview was to be what is infamously known in the mission as the departing interview. The interview is around an hour long, as to allow the mission president enough time to offer the advice the missionary most needs.

As with all interviews I've had while on the mission, it was a great moment for me in seeing how far I've come and how much farther I have to go. Throughout the interview, President McMurray asked me how my mission had gone, and in what ways I felt I had been successful through it. It gave me a great chance to look back on my past and see how I really have grown and progressed over this mission. He then asked me about my plans I have set for after the mission (school down at SUU, try to date a lot more than I did in high school, get first book published) and offered some advice on how to attain those goals while keeping myself strengthened in the church and any callings I receive.

Best of all, he told me that we will be going to the temple on the 29th, Friday this week! I get to go through one last time! Yes!

The second major point from this week was having the chance to go on exchanges. This exchange was very interesting for me, as it was my first time going on exchanges with a greenie. And I'm talking like just an eight-day-old greenie. His name was Elder Brand, and he is Elder Anderson's greenie and companion for the rest of this transfer. To be honest, I was a little worried about how to spend our few hours together. What I was really worried about was somehow messing up and having this one moment so early in Elder Brand's mission reshape everything in how he went about the work. This fear grew even more when I actually went out working with him and came to realize that he is incredibly prepared for the work.

However, regardless of my worries, the exchange went really well. Elder Brand was a great missionary to serve with, even if it was only for a day or so, and he really shows great potential as a powerful missionary. As missionaries, we often talk about praying and reading the Book of Mormon with real intent, with a true desire to learn and then apply whatever we gain from Heavenly Father. It was wonderful to come to know a missionary that so fully accepts that real intent, who knows that he is very much still imperfect and is willing to do whatever his Father in Heaven asks him to do in order to improve. It was a moment where I was able to see the future of the Colorado Fort Collins Mission, and how brightly does it shine.

From these two moments, I have also come to love the old poem President Boyd K. Packer recited in a General Conference address in October of 2011.

"**The old crow is getting slow.**

**The young crow is not.**

**Of what the young crow does not know**

**The old crow knows a lot.**

**At knowing things the old crow**

**Is still the young crow's master.**

**What does the slow old crow not know?**

**—****How to go faster.**

**The young crow flies above, below,**

**And rings around the slow old crow.**

**What does the fast young crow not know?**

**—****Where to go.**" (Fast and Slow, John Ciardi)

As a missionary about to go back out into the insane world we live in today (and indeed, this is an insane world we live in), I am able to experience both sides of this poem. With President Brown, and now President McMurray, I have been very much the young crow. I feel ready to go home, to get on with my life, to start living that phase of life I've dreamed of living for years. However, the old wise crows know best the struggles I will face, and are quick to offer advice to the young crow so that he doesn't end up messing up along the way. Their words have always been the counsel and direction I needed, both as a missionary and a young man.

On the other end of the poem, though, by missionary standards I am very much an old crow. And, some days, I feel it. I lack the zeal and 'greenie fire' that I once had when I was a bright-eyed-bushy-tailed greenie almost two years ago. I work hard and do what I can, yet some days it doesn't feel as though it was enough to get the job done. All around me are young crows (I live with three of them now). Lively and excitable, they zip this way and that, eager to do to the work and do that which they have been called to do. With so many missionaries with so much more energy and zeal to do the work, what place has the old crow among them?

Well, you read the poem. I have an additional year's worth of experience over my three roommates here. While I'm not the wisest or the smartest, this experience helps me much when teaching and relating to our investigators. These pearls of wisdom that I have gained on my mission are something I hope to hold on to for the rest of my life.

Now, I am certain there are some among you that are wondering, "This is all very well and good, Elder Weber, but where are you going with this?" My brothers and sisters, each of us are old and young crows. Never doubt it, we all are like the young crow in some way or another, eager to go out, to go this way and that, to live life. And, at the same time, we are all old crows, each having experience that can benefit one another. The question then is not whether we have to learn more or be more zealous in our desires, but how we can improve. How can we make our lack of knowledge (for the young crow) or our lack or energy (for the old crow) a blessing.

The words of the Lord to Moroni I believe best answer this question. "**And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.**" (Ether 12:27)

Brothers and sisters, we are all imperfect. Each of us lack, in some way or another, when compared to our Heavenly a Parents and our Savior. However, if we are humble enough to accept their help and guidance, and the help and guidance of those around us, then can our 'weak things become strong', and the trials that once stood as great mountains before us will be no more than hurdles to jump over. My friends, my plea is that we all seek this level of humility. Turn to our Father, turn to each other, and see what miracles these young and old crows can work. Thus I bear witness of, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z. S. Weber

Sent from My iPad


	107. I'm Back!

Hey guys! Guess who's finally back, after two years away?! Well, technically I was back on the 2nd of this month...but you get my drift! This is my first time being back on Fanfiction after two years on my mission, and man does it feel good to finally be back home again! The site seems to have gotten a bit smaller than the last time I was here, but that doesn't seem to slow the number of stories coming out! There are some great ones here, and I can't wait to get to reading again!

Now, before I get much further into my ramblings, I'm afraid I have some bad news for you guys. I know I said I would be coming back to this site when I came back from my mission. And, as you can tell, I definitely have. I have a lot of stories to work on, too, great fanfictions that are sure to please. In addition, I'm also now on FictionPress, and should be ready to publish the first chapter (or prologue, in this case) of my first original fiction story.

However, just because I'm coming back doesn't mean that I will be coming back to this account. Yeah, you read that right. I'm not coming back _here._ This account, while it was a great place to start off with, has a lot of rough memories with it, and a lot of those are shameful memories that I would rather forget. Even after deleting a lot of the stories and threads I'd been writing for a while on this site, the memories come back to haunt me when I'm here.

So, rather than have to go through that stress for the rest of my writing life on this site, I'm instead going to publish on my new account-ZSWeberUnlimited. There, you will find most of the epicness that you have come to love from my past stories (as long as those stories aren't the ones that I frequently cringe from the memories of). I even just published my first chapter (okay, it's actually a prologue, but whatever) of Bleach: Rewrite the Past's newly rewritten version, Bleach: ReWrite the Past.

Anyways, hope you guys enjoy the new stories on my new account. If not...well, it was nice knowing you guys. Hope to hear from all y'all real soon! Stay Epic, My Friends! ZSWeberUnlimited, out!


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